The reliability of a handheld wound measurement and documentation device in clinical practice.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the precision (intra- and interrater variability) and usability of a new handheld wound measurement device designed to measure wound surface area and depth across a range of typical wound types. SUBJECTS AND SETTING: Raters included a doctor, a nurse, and a novice who was unfamiliar with wound care and the study equipment. Patients of nurse maude, a community-based home health organization in christchurch, new zealand, were assessed at either the wound clinic or the patient's home. METHOD: Five repeated area and depth measurements were made on 5 different wounds by the 3 raters, resulting in up to 75 area and depth measurements. The time taken to make each measurement was also recorded. INSTRUMENT: This study evaluated a handheld wound imaging, measurement, and documentation device (SilhouetteMobile, ARANZ Medical Limited, Christchurch, New Zealand). RESULTS: Variances and coefficients of variation (CV) between raters (interrater) and within raters (intrarater) over the 5 wounds were calculated, as was the intraclass correlation coefficient. Inter- and intrarater precision for surface area was 3.2% and 2.6%, respectively, and depth 13.5% and 5.5%, respectively; intraclass correlation coefficients for area and depth were 99.76% and 98.95%, respectively. Approximately 2 minutes were required to capture photographic documentation and perform area and depth measurements. Use of the device provided practitioners and patients with immediate feedback on wound healing progress. CONCLUSION: The device was found to have low intra- and interrater variation. The photographic record and measurements can be collected in approximately 2 minutes and in a noncontact fashion. A novice user was able to use the device proficiently with 1 hour of training.

Clinical evaluation of a wound measurement and documentation system.

Wound measurement is essential in assessing the progress of wound healing. The most commonly used tools include wound tracings, width and length measurements, and digital photography. These methods have been useful in clinical practice but have some limitations, such as lack of accuracy, difficulty of use, and often entail wound contact. More advanced equipment tends to be bulky, heavy, and expensive. The following reviews the authors' experience with a new wound measurement and documentation system, the ARANZ Medical Silhouette Mobile™ (ARANZ Medical, Christchurch, New Zealand). This innovative device combines a digital camera and structured lighting in the form of 2 laser beams to automatically correct for image scale and skin curvature, allowing rapid and accurate measurements of the wound surface area and depth. The scanner unit plugs into a standard personal digital assistant to form a portable device that can be easily held and operated using 1 hand. The scanner has been used in clinical practice trials in patients with venous leg ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers, and in the community setting. The scanner was found to be accurate and reliable, easy to learn and use, portable, and compact. The results presented suggest that this device may be a viable choice in the management of different types of chronic wounds.