Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP) has launched a digital wound app pilot – aiming to improve care for local people and reduce costs.
The app, called Minuteful for Wound by Healthy.io, launched on Monday 30 June as a 12-month pilot project. Specifically the app has been rolled out to clinical staff at; Neston Care Community Team, Neston Dressing Clinic, Central Dressing Clinic and the Tissue Viability Service. These teams were selected so the app can be tested in both clinic and community settings – mainly people’s homes.
If successful – it is hoped that the app could be rolled out wider to benefit as many local people as people. It also follows national best practice. The National Wound Care Strategy Programme (NWCSP) has recommended the use of digital technology to support clinicians working directly with our patients and their wounds.
The app involves clinicians taking a scan of a wound, using the apps camera function. It then uses artificial intelligence to assess wound healing – to determine if a wound is the same as before or if it is getting better. It also measures the wound. This then allows patients to see their progress over time.
Wound care accounted for 19% of all new referrals into CWP’s Care Community Teams between April 2023-2024 and it is estimated that between 50-60% of the community nursing caseload is wound care.
Jenni Kirkham, CWP project manager, explains: “Before, we would have to rely on clinical staff taking their own measurements of a wound by hand. They would then have to record it into the system. With this app – the measurements of wounds is standardised and the amount of admin required by staff is reduced – allowing them to spend more time providing care.”
Scan data is not stored on phones. The app is integrated with Trust clinical systems and any scans are deleted immediately after upload to the Trust system. Prior to the launch of the app it has undergone rigorous clinician-led testing and clinical safety reviews to ensure it is appropriate for use. The app is already used by 15 NHS Trusts who all have reported care and cost improvements.
Thariea whisker, Director for Minuteful for Wound Services at Healthy.io, said, “It is encouraging to see how Minuteful for Wound is helping to transform the delivery of wound care at Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, providing clinical staff with accurate assessments, and also enabling patients to see how their wound is healing during what can be a slow and challenging healing process.”
Andrew Moss, clinical director said: “We are thrilled to be launching our digital wound app in a move that we hope will improve care for local people. I’m very thankful to Healthy.Io for being such accommodating and helpful partners in getting this off the ground to where we are today. We are optimistic that this development can have long-term benefits, but we are eager to see what improvements can be shown, as we collect data in the coming year.
“Having a wound requiring nurse-led wound care can be a very stressful and distressing experience for some people. Anything we can do to improve outcomes and reduce healing times for people is welcome.”
