Published 15.12.2022
An innovative new digital wound care management project to help patients with lower limb wounds has been launched in North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust.
The joint nurse-led pilot project that uses an app to auto-measure and analyse the tissue types will allow nurses to upload images of wounds to a secure portal where they can be assessed clinically.
The aim is to provide an opportunity for remote monitoring, earlier intervention, and better outcomes for patients through the rapid and accurate assessment of wounds as well as cutting down on administrative time.
Gail Curran, vascular nurse specialist said: “The secure digital portal ensures wound assessment based on best practice and is aligned with the National Wound Care Strategy programme (NWCSP), if successful and rolled out across the trust it will also provide an opportunity for remote monitoring and patient support with quick access to specialist advice from the nurse-led service.
“The longer-term benefit of the app is the communication between primary and secondary care with instant access to patient wound care progress and concerns raised without having to wait for an appointment, but also being able to reduce the number of unnecessary follow up visits and outpatient appointments if a wound is obviously improving.
“There may also be a possibility of rolling the service out wider to the orthopaedic specialist nurses involved in diabetic foot care and possibly the tissue viability nurses in the new year.”
The Trust is delivering the Minuteful for Wound wound care app and portal for its lower limb wound care team jointly with Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) which has been successful in winning funding for the digital solution service.
Working with innovation, health and social care partners, CPFT is leading one of 27 projects around the country awarded just over £5.5 million to support people with digital health technology at home.
Peterborough City Hospital, Rutland and Stamford Hospital and Hinchingbrooke Hospital in Huntingdon are all part of North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust.
Pic cap: The newly launched app allows patients to upload images of their lower limb wounds to a secure portal where they can be assessed clinically.
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