Telemedicine Improves Chronic Ulcer Outcomes

Chronic ulcers greatly add to the clinical, economic, and patient burden on health care, increasing visits that challenge patients and strain overworked clinical centers. Telemedicine (TM) facilitates interprofessional collaboration and patient education and enables specialist bedside consults for clients without adding to their transfer and travel risks. Evidence supports improved postoperative monitoring, access to experts, and cost savings for TM-managed patients with acute or chronic wounds in a variety of settings. Despite its limitations, including likely overdiagnosis and dependence on functioning technology, TM has been validated for surgical site infection (SSI) surveillance, reducing post vascular surgery SSI-related readmissions, and was at least as safe and effective as in-person consults during postoperative wound care in general. The 2 following studies illustrate the value of TM in managing patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), pressure ulcers,6 and a variety of leg ulcers.