Hospitals seek to improve wound care with technology

Health care organizations are using digital health tools to improve wound care, which can result in serious complications if not properly treated. Smart bandages and sensors and reporting tools, including images, within the electronic health record (EHR) can help hospitals to better track wounds and avoid hospital-acquired pressure ulcers. Northwell Health System, based in New Hyde Park, N.Y., uses analytics software and sensors to enable its care teams to track a wound in real time to monitor recovery and change care management plans as needed. Without the software, “the appropriate prevention and treatment interventions could be overlooked as well as the risk of potential financial penalties as a result of incorrect documentation,” said Roxanne Elling, RN, a wound care specialist at Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip, N.Y., which is part of the health system. (HealthLeaders Media article, 10/7/22)