A digital assessment and documentation tool evaluated for daily podiatric wound practice.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Foot ulcers are a common complication of diabetes. Regular screening of patients with ulcers enables better treatment and reduces the number of amputations. The lack of wound specialists, especially in nonurban areas, drove the development of an IT-based system for analyzing wounds, the Wound Healing Analyzing Tool (WHAT). Digital images are scored and documented using software that runs on a laptop computer. The aim of this study was to evaluate WHAT's use in daily podiatry practice. METHODS: Eighteen ambulant patients presenting with diabetic foot ulcers at the participating podiatric clinic were recruited to the study. Digital ulcer images were obtained. To measure size and assess wound bed condition, the evaluated software recognizes the square mark, which is printed on a sticker and placed next to the ulcer. A trained, blinded physician assessed the same digital images and results were compared. RESULTS: Fifteen of the 18 results obtained with the digital tool for ulcer area and wound bed condition were in line with the visual assessment conducted by the blinded physician. Eighty-seven percent of the images were correctly scored, with the main problem being a missing or partially visible square mark in the photograph (n = 3/18). CONCLUSION: The results indicate that WHAT showed sufficient accuracy to be considered for use in clinical settings for determination of wound area and wound bed characteristics. The tool also seems to be an attractive option for digital consulting.