Wound Image Quality From a Mobile Health Tool for Home-Based Chronic Wound Management With Real-Time Quality Feedback: Randomized Feasibility Study

• DOI: 10.2196/26149
• Publication Date: 2021-07-30T12:46:22Z
• Authors: Jia Zhang; Carina Mihai; Laura Tüshaus; Gaetano Scebba; Oliver Distler; Walter Karlen
• Keywords: mHealth; Wound care; Telehealth

Background Travel to clinics for chronic wound management is burdensome patients. Remote assessment and of wounds using mobile telehealth approaches can reduce this burden improve patient outcomes. An essential step in documentation the capture images, but poor image quality have a negative influence on reliability assessment. To date, no study has investigated remotely acquired images whether these are suitable self-management telemedical interpretation status. Objective Our goal was develop health (mHealth) tool remote self-assessment digital ulcers (DUs) patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). We aimed define validate objective measures assessing quality, evaluate an automated feedback feature based real-time improves overall feasibility deploying mHealth home-based self-monitoring by SSc. Methods developed composed imaging app, custom color reference sticker, smartphone holder. introduced 2 parameters sharpness presence checker assess during acquisition enable mechanism advanced version app. randomly assigned SSc DU device groups (basic feedback) self-document their at home over 8 weeks. The detection ratio (CCDR) (CCS) were compared between groups. evaluated analyzing usability from questionnaires, user behavior timings, images. Results A total 21 enrolled, which 15 included analysis. average CCDR 0.96 (191/199) group 0.86 (158/183) basic group. showed significantly higher (P<.001) CCS questionnaire results that majority satisfied tool, could benefit disease-specific adaptations. median duration <50 seconds all patients, indicating efficient use be integrated into daily routine Conclusions enables acquire good-quality demonstrated it feasible deploy such app improved quality. technical solutions consist further towards reliable trustworthy wounds.