Remote Wound Care Monitoring? There’s an App For That

A recent study published by the Journal of the American College of Surgeons explored the benefit of integrating smartphone applications into transitional care programs. In the study, forty vascular surgery patients were given iPhones equipped with an app called WoundCheck that allowed them to send pictures of their wounds to their healthcare providers. Providers were able to detect seven complications during the course of the study. In doing so, they were able to reduce readmissions and the costs associated with them, increase patient satisfaction scores and most importantly improve the quality patient care. As patients are often unable to recognize the early signs of infection, the integration of smartphone technology with transitional care plans allowed providers to reduce the risk of cellulitis and other complications. For related articles, follow us on LinkedIn.
To read more, visit the Journal of Healthcare Contracting.