Monitoring and assessing wounds/ulcers using mobile phone photographs
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Monitoring and assessing wounds/ulcers using mobile phone photographs
IRAS ID
167899
Contact name
Graham Dinsdale
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Manchester
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
Monitoring and assessing wounds/ulcers using mobile phone photographs
Assessment of a wound is critical to wound care – any assessment method should ideally be able to monitor changes to the wound bed including size, inflammation and infection, and include the area surrounding the wound itself. Wounds are normally assessed visually by a healthcare practitioner (often at the patient’s home). This, however, is subjective, may happen infrequently, and can mean early signs of wound deterioration, for example infection, being left undetected. Photographs taken by the patient themselves, using a mobile phone, will provide an opportunity for regular remote monitoring and for additional wound assessment from the collected images.
Up to thirty patients will be recruited into this study. These will be selected such that a cross section of wound types is represented in the final dataset. Specifically we will recruit: 15 patients following routine knee surgery (surgical wounds), and 15 patients with digital (finger) ulcers associated with systemic sclerosis.
Participation will involve two study visits to Salford Royal Hospital approximately 4 weeks apart. At the first study visit patients will be assessed as to their familiarity with mobile phone technology. If necessary, training will be provided to ensure they can all photograph their wound or ulcer using a mobile phone. If they don’t own a mobile phone one will be provided. They will then be asked to photograph their wound or ulcer on a daily basis for a period of 1 month before returning for their second study visit. At this visit all wound and ulcer images will be downloaded from their mobile phone(electronically, via cable or other suitable method) to the research team. Photographs collected during the study will be assessed and analysed to see if colour changes and affected areas can be appropriately quantified.
REC name
West Midlands - Edgbaston Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/WM/1272
Date of REC Opinion
18 Dec 2014
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion