Smartphone Solution Assured to Tackle $25 Billion Chronic Wound Problem

Healthy.io, the category creator of smartphone urinalysis and the global leader in turning smartphone cameras into clinical-grade medical devices, recently announced the launch of its second product line, a digital wound management solution, according to a news release.

The solution is an expansion of Healthy.io’s clinical grade color recognition products, in use by thousands of people worldwide. These products help healthcare professionals study chronic wounds and track their progress over time through a repeatable process. The solution was successfully registered with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in December 2019.

Chronic wounds affect 6.5 million people in the U.S., costing more than $25 billion annually, the release says.

The aging population and an increase in chronic disease, such as obesity and diabetes, will further compound the chronic wound problem.

The current method for measuring and documenting chronic wounds is inconsistent and simple. Measurement by nurses is done with basic tools like paper rulers, and it is difficult to share and track results over time. This can lead to incorrect treatment, prolonged healing times, and growing distress for patients.

“Nurses, already overextended, are on the front line of wound care and are the real heroes but the tools they are using today haven’t changed in decades,” says Yonatan Adiri, founder and CEO of Healthy.io. “We believe this is the heart of the problem and why we have created a solution that will help them accurately track wound progress over time. Our expertise, robust partnerships, and track record in clinical grade image and color recognition position us to make a significant impact on this market.”

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Using a smartphone app and two calibration stickers placed around a wound to track dimensions, nurses can now scan the wound and get a measurement quickly and effectively, the release says.

Healthy.io’s technology builds a 3D image, enabling more comprehensive documentation. The app measures wounds and captures standardized visual records over time, eliminating human error and discrepancies common in today’s methods due to subjective analysis and inaccurate measurement.

“The biggest impact for us is having photographs of the wound,” says Gill Cooper, clinical lead nurse at Wokingham Medical Centre in the United Kingdom, where the solution is being used. “It has given us the chance to review wounds and to think about wound care before the patient even enters the room,”

To use Healthy.io’s solution, a nurse must use the app and two calibration stickers to scan the wound for measurement. Then they must provide qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the wound, such as location, wound type, pain level, odor, exudate, and more. Next, they document administered treatment plan and reference past treatment and photos. Lastly, a nurse would create reports summarizing wound progress.

The product, which is also CE marked, is currently being used at Care City and Modality Partnership’s Wokingham Medical Center in the United Kingdom.

For more information, visit www.healthy.io/wound.