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Wound care specialists from Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust’s (EPUT) District Nursing Team have launched a pilot scheme using digital technology to enhance care for patients with pressure ulcers and other wounds.

Community nurses working on Canvey Island are using a new app called Minuteful for Wound, which enables clinicians to measure, assess and monitor wounds and build comprehensive 3D wound scans using a smartphone.

The app helps ensure wounds and measurements are recorded clearly and accurately, which helps colleagues monitor any changes or spot warning signs.

Rosina Worf, Senior Lead Nurse and District Nurse Specialist at EPUT, said: “We are dedicated to providing holistic care and are always keen to explore new innovations to enhance patient care.

“Using the app means we can take photos instantly and automatically retrieve previous images.

“This helps our patients to better understand how their wounds are healing and how we can work with them in their recovery.

“We have had very positive feedback from patients about how the app is used to track the progress of their wounds.

“Using the detailed information the app provides, senior nurses and specialist teams can ensure appropriate treatment and support is in place at the right time to quicken the healing process.”

Tissue viability nurse specialists from EPUT are working closely with Canvey’s community nurses to train them in using the app. They are also working with the app’s developer, Healthy.io, to develop a training package and there are plans to further roll out further use of the app.

Katie Fox, Community Wound Care Team Lead at EPUT, said: “For some healthcare professionals the idea of adapting to new ways of working can be daunting. It is our role in specialist services to ensure that the nurses feel supported and competent to use the app.

“This is an exciting opportunity for us to demonstrate the potential benefits that a digital wound care app can bring, the positive outcomes that can be achieved for our patients, and a more efficient way of working for our teams in terms of undertaking wound assessments.”

Using digital technology, data and information to help deliver high quality care and treatment are a key part of the recommendations set out by National Wound Care Strategy Programme.

The Mid and South Essex Wound Care Transformation Group – which includes EPUT - are a national accelerator site for the programme. Teams across the group are rolling out the recommendations for improving care for people with leg wounds.