Communications of the ACM
Researchers Creating an App to Track, Analyze Dangerous Chronic Wounds
Worcester Polytechnic Institute researchers are developing a smartphone application to help patients and caregivers track and assess potentially dangerous chronic wounds.
Credit: ptwebucation.com
Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) will use a U.S. National Institutes of Health grant to develop a smartphone application to help patients and caregivers track and assess potentially dangerous chronic wounds.
WPI professor Emmanuel Agu thinks the app will make patients more involved in their own care, reduce unnecessary doctor visits, and issue alerts when an emergency trip to the doctor or hospital is required.
Patients or caregivers will use the app to photograph wounds with the smartphone, and built-in machine-learning algorithms will measure wound assessment metrics that indicate how healing is progressing.
The algorithms will compare the readings over time to determine if the wound is shrinking or growing, or if there are other changes that could signal an infection or other complication.
The app also will compute a healing score to gauge the state of the wound, and suggest the patient either stay the course, consult a specialist, or seek immediate help.
From The Daily Telescope
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