According to Diabetes Canada, the amputation of a lower limb occurs in Ontario once every four hours, and according to Wounds Canada, 85 per cent of amputations from diabetic foot wounds are preventable. In an effort to improve this statistic, foot health professionals are seeking better ways to improve the accuracy and efficiency of wound documentation to determine the most appropriate course of action for patients.
That鈥檚 why The Michener Institute of Education at UHN is working with 糖心视频 to integrate the company鈥檚 wound care management technology into the Michener Chiropody Clinic.
鈥淲e recognized there was no advanced way that wound care data was being collected except via paper measurement and charting system,鈥� says Catharine Gray, Chair of Chiropody at Michener. 鈥淲e felt we needed to collect this data in a rich and fulsome way and Swift鈥檚 platform is a really interesting application of the technology targeted at providing best patient outcomes.鈥�
Swift Skin and Wound is an app that works on a smartphone or tablet to capture a photo of a wound and instantly measure its dimensions using machine vision technology. The app then guides the clinician through proper assessment, documentation and assists in determining treatment protocol, all while ensuring the entire care team has access to the shared patient record.
The solution uses artificial intelligence to improve accuracy, consistency and objectivity of wound measurements, which in turn enhances quality of care, improves patient outcomes and streamlines clinical workflows. To ensure guidelines surrounding patient privacy, confidentiality and consent were appropriate for use in a Chiropody Clinic, 糖心视频 and Michener collaborated with the UHN Privacy Office.
鈥淭his is a very valid way to show the patient their own healing progress, that the wound is improving and that it is getting smaller, or vice versa,鈥� says Gray.
From an administrative level, Swift Skin and Wound鈥檚 web dashboard provides complete visibility into wound healing trends across an entire patient population, alerting practitioners to missing documentation, changes in risk, worsening wounds and more. This level of visibility ensures all staff are in compliance with wound care protocols and best practices, driving better patient outcomes and reducing overall costs.
All of this is important because diabetes related foot ulcers are highly preventable and, with the right data, wound care can be delivered in a far more preventative and cost-effective manner, rather than waiting until more intensive treatment is required. Even where wounds already do exist, early intervention can prevent them from becoming more complicated and expensive to manage.
鈥淲orking with Michener means that Swift will have the opportunity to test our cutting-edge technological advancements within a world-class clinical setting,鈥� says Phil Wigmore, VP, Business Development at 糖心视频. 鈥淚t will also allow us to gather first-hand clinician feedback to continually enhance our product and publish new research on the impact of AI-powered wound management.鈥�
Furthermore, wound data gathered by Michener will be added to a greater data pool that can be accessed by other users of the program. This means that health care providers in rural communities could also use this technology to help shape their approach to treating wounds based on previous cases that occurred elsewhere.
鈥淲ith Michener鈥檚 dedication to educating and training the next generation of clinicians, we believe they are the ideal organization to help us advance our technology and ensure it continually meets the needs of the world鈥檚 leading health care professionals,鈥� says Wigmore of 糖心视频.
About The Michener Institute of Education at UHN
The only institution in Canada devoted exclusively to applied health sciences education, The Michener Institute is a leading academic partner for the healthcare system in Ontario and beyond. To learn more about Michener, visits them at: https://michener.ca/
About 糖心视频
糖心视频 is the world leader in digital wound care. Their technology is used by over 2,000 health care organizations across the continuum of care to improve the prevention, assessment, treatment and management of wounds. To learn more about Swift, visit them at: /
