Australian Study Highlights Value of Tissue Analytics Wound Care Platform

Findings also confirm platform's capabilities for wound and skin clinical trials

PITTSBURGH, April 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Net Health, a leading provider of software and analytics for medical specialties, announced the recent publication of a study reviewing the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled mobile wound care applications developed by Net Health. The study showed that these applications provide better documentation, are easy to use, engage patients, and drive improvements in wound measurement and management.

Conducted by Australian New South Wales (NSW) Health Service, the study looked at the performance of Net Health's Tissue Analytics' wound imaging and analysis platform in multiple sites, including a senior care ward, colorectal ward, an outpatient dermatology clinic, and primary care physicians' offices. 

In addition to highlighting the platform's value in clinical settings, the findings provide helpful insights for researchers looking to conduct decentralized and hybrid clinical trials involving wounds, skin lesions, and visible skin conditions in a post-pandemic world. 

The study was published in the International Wound Journal.  The e-clinical platform was tested on 124 patients with 184 wounds compared with the standard care group, consisting of 166 patients with 243 wounds.  Results showed several statistically significant outcomes related to use of the platform, including the completeness of documentation based on the number of dressing changes compared to standard care, pain, size, exudate, and odor (p < 0.001).  These findings demonstrate the positive impact of the platform in terms of usability, patient adherence, and the photographic evidence of clinical endpoints.

As described in the publication, ten of the 13 participating physicians and nurses responded to a survey, and strongly agreed that the platform had value, and provided benefits to communication. The patients who were interviewed unanimously commented that the platform provided benefits to their wound healing and communication with clinicians. 

Besides showcasing the value of mobile wound analysis in clinical settings, the findings will fuel interest in the Tissue Analytics platform for wound and skin care clinical research. Findings from the study that relate to clinical trials include the ability of the mobile wound analysis platform to: 1) empower patients to take more active roles in their care; 2) increase accuracy of wound measurements; and 3) ensure greater consistency in care and participant satisfaction.

Study results also suggest the value of the platform to retain study participants.  Per interviews, patient-participants said they were "strongly" satisfied by the telehealth capability of the platform.  Moreover, the study's authors noted that using the app saved patients time and cost, especially for travel, a key factor in encouraging participants to remain in a study.

"We're very excited by the findings in this study," said Keith Tode, Vice President of Clinical Research for Tissue Analytics.  "Study sponsors are looking for tools that are simple to use, engage patients, allow for virtual wound care visits and consultations, and provide real-time and real-world insights into the participant experience.  This study shows that mobile wound platforms can offer the features today's clinicians and researchers want and need.  Looking ahead, we see many benefits to this approach for clinical trials for wound care, dermatology, endocrinology and other skin conditions."

Net Health's mission is to harness data for human health. Net Health solutions are trusted in over 23,000 facilities across the continuum of care. Our EHR software enables caregivers and their organizations to engage effectively with patients, streamline documentation, staff efficiently, secure maximum appropriate reimbursement and maintain regulatory compliance. Our unique approach to analytics seamlessly presents insights in clinical and operational workflows to improve care and business performance.  Net Health is a portfolio company of The Carlyle Group, Level Equity and Silversmith Capital Partners. www.nethealth.com.

SOURCE Net Health Systems, Inc.