Development and evaluation of an academia-industry collaborative recurrent education program focused on incontinence-related skin care: Bridging foundational education and clinical practice

Abstract

Background A structural gap persists between foundational nursing education and the rapidly evolving technological landscape of clinical incontinence care in Japan. Increasing product differentiation requires healthcare professionals to exercise situational product selection, while undergraduate curricula often lag behind technological innovation. In addition, the diversification of the healthcare workforce introduces further complexity in interpreting locally optimized product logic. This report describes the development and evaluation of an academia-industry collaborative recurrent education program designed to address these structural challenges.

Methods The program was co-developed by university faculty and an industry product development team. Theoretical sessions addressed skin pH dynamics, barrier protection mechanisms, and cleansing principles relevant to incontinence-associated dermatitis. Practical sessions incorporated visualization-based comparative demonstrations, in which simulated stool and urine were simultaneously applied to different absorbent products to externalize structural differences in absorption patterns and surface moisture conditions. The program was delivered in two separate in-person sessions at different venues in Niigata, Japan, in March 2025, with a total of 34 nursing and caregiving professionals participating across both sites, including one foreign care worker.

Results Among respondents (n = 25), 88% reported acquisition of new knowledge and 92% recognized practical applicability. Qualitative feedback emphasized the value of hands-on visualization and expressed intentions to disseminate updated knowledge within clinical workplaces.

Conclusions Academia-industry collaborative recurrent education may function as an adaptive interface between foundational curricula and accelerating clinical innovation. Beyond individual skill acquisition, such programs have the potential to support shared clinical reasoning across diverse professionals and contribute to regional healthcare quality assurance in technologically advancing care systems.

Keywords

Academia-industry collaboration / Caregiving professionals / Foreign care workers / Incontinence care / Nursing professionals / Recurrent education

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