The future of wound care depends on how care providers use technology like AI to ensure quality care for patients.
FREMONT, CA: One of the promising areas in which Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly advancing is medicine. Medical care providers are amid turning this technology towards wound care, where AI algorithms can identify rashes and lesions, measure and analyze wounds, and bring colorimetric testing, all by using photos and short videos snapped in smartphones. The potential of AI in wound care is opening new avenues for treating wounded patients.
Due to color duplex ultrasound scanning and other imaging technologies, wound care providers currently have more certainty in diagnosing and confirming wounds. Analyzing radiology images is one of AI’s significant potentials. As a cognitive assistant, AI can assist clinicians in diagnosing wounds faster and accurately by measuring wounds and indicating levels of exudates, protease, and bacterial burden. AI can analyze information from a patient’s file and compare them with clinical guidelines, research, and historical data. It can also help care providers compare different medicines, evaluate the risks of wound healing approaches, and predict clinical outcomes, for identifying the optimal treatment plan for each patient.
AI can be useful for patients with chronic wounds, as it gets the most information out of in-person consultations conducted at home. This is more appealing to patients in rural regions, as they often prefer to avoid a long commute to wound care centers. AI-powered apps and devices can provide continuous monitoring at home, allowing clinicians to do follow-up care remotely with sufficient information. A virtual healthcare assistant can allow patients to control the location and timing of obtaining customized wound care solutions.
When combined with wearable sensors, AI can assess the treatment progression, compare it with the treatment plan prescribed by physicians, and then provide lifestyle suggestions based on the needs and habits. Soon, with its round-the-clock proactive and personal health management ability, it may be possible for AI to prevent the occurrence of chronic wounds.
