Case series of 3 Pressure Ulcers Cured with Education through Telemedicine

Abstract

Objectives: The case series with pressure ulcers who was cured by education through telemedicine will be presented as a model for how a Korean medicine doctor can participate in the telemedicine of pressure ulcers. We also aim to report on the perspectives of medical staff and patients regarding the improved telemedicine services in Korean medicine.Methods: The study included three cases of pressure ulcers in home care, and education on pressure ulcer management was provided to patients, caregivers, and collaborators via telemedicine. Basic training was provided to teach the sealed wet dressing therapy method. After the basic training, feedback on the treatment was provided by taking photos or videos of the patient's treatment process, and the feedback process was repeated until the dressing method was perfected.Results: A combination of telemedicine, home visits, and home care successfully treated pressure ulcers in home care patients using a multidisciplinary approach. The education through telemedicine alone improved the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) stages and the total score of the Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing (PUSH) Tool, and all three cases were finally cured with an average treatment duration of 26.7 days. The patient's and clinician's perspectives also showed that telemedicine can effectively engage patients, caregivers, and collaborators, and motivate them to manage pressure ulcers.Conclusions: For patients having trouble visiting the hospital or desiring treatment at home, consideration can be given to telemedicine for traditional Korean medicine education in pressure ulcer management.