A Standardized Treatment Pathway for Telehealth-Based Care of Chronic Wounds in Austria

Stud Health Technol Inform. 2024 Apr 26:313:186-191. doi: 10.3233/SHTI240035.

Abstract

Chronic wounds present a significant healthcare challenge in Austria as well as in other countries. The interdisciplinary approach to wound treatment involving various caregivers, doctors, and relatives, poses challenges in documentation and information exchange. To overcome these barriers and promote patient-centered care, a new telehealth-supported treatment pathway for chronic wounds has been developed. The primary focus was to regularly update the status of the chronic wound by responding to predefined questions and transmitted images of the chronic wound. This was achieved by an interdisciplinary team of experts in chronic wound care, providing a new perspective for digital implementation in the healthcare system.

Keywords: Telehealth; care guideline; chronic wound; patient-centered treatment; telemedicine; wound management.

MeSH terms

  • Austria
  • Chronic Disease / therapy
  • Critical Pathways
  • Humans
  • Patient-Centered Care
  • Telemedicine*
  • Wounds and Injuries / therapy