Telemedicine and Oxygen Therapy in Wound Healing

Chronic wounds represent a huge burden both financially and from a resource allocation to health providers as well as causing a significant impact to the patient’s wellbeing. Patients with chronic wounds require close monitoring and treatment adjustments. A large population with chronic wounds demographically spread on a large geographical territory on the north of Israel without the ability to reach a wound care clinic on a regular basis. Therefore the modality of "Tele- Wound" medicine is a necessity clinically and economically.

It is well recognised that oxygen plays a fundamental role in wound healing, however most wounds will demonstrate a degree of hypoxia due to tissue damage inherent with a wound. The presence of a wound increases the body’s need for oxygen by 20% for a patient with a non-infected wound and 50% for a patient with an infected wound. If oxygen demand continues to outstrip supply chronicity and failure to heal is likely to occur.

This presentation will explore the integration of implementing cutting edge topical oxygen technology promoting chronic wound healing together with the use of telemedicine platform to follow, monitor and guide nurses on how to treat patients that leave in the periphery and cannot reach a wound care clinic on a regular basis.