Smartphone photography for smart assessment of post-surgical wounds - an experience during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract

This study was undertaken with an aim to assess the feasibility of substitution of real-life clinical follow up with a review of smartphone captured digital photographs of post-surgical wounds by a clinician to assess wound healing. The postoperative patients who understood the objectives got enrolled in the prospective study and were followed up. They were requested to capture the digital photographs of the wounds with the smartphones and send through WhatsApp on postoperative days 3, 5, 7, 15 and 30 or else whenever they felt need for review due to symptoms like fever, pain, redness or swelling. 24 abdominal, 2 extremity and 1 neck wounds were followed up in 27 patients. 3 patients developed complications and all were detected with 100% accuracy. 81% of the patients were satisfied with this mode of postoperative wound assessment. The experience shows that, in the follow up of postsurgical wounds, there is good correlation between real life clinical and remote photographic review. Incorporating photographic wound assessment into a postoperative follow-up care pathway may potentially decrease the postoperative hospital visits and decrease burden on healthcare facilities.