Inter-rater agreement and checklist validation for postoperative wound assessment using smartphone images in vascular surgery.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Surgical site infection (SSI) is the most common nosocomial infection, in vascular surgery patients, who experience a high rate of readmission. Facilitating transition from hospital to outpatient care with digital image-based wound monitoring has the potential to detect and to enable treatment of SSI at an early stage. In this study, we evaluated whether smartphone digital images can supplant in-person evaluation of postoperative vascular surgery wounds.

Methods

We developed a wound assessment checklist using previously validated criteria. We recruited adults who underwent a vascular surgical procedure between 2014 and 2015, involving an incision of at least 3 cm, from a high-volume academic vascular surgery service. Vascular surgery care providers evaluated wounds

SUBMITTER: Wiseman JT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4913032 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature