Implementing a Point-of-Care Image Application Into the Clinical Setting: Introducing a Viable Approach.

Area of Science:

• Medical imaging
• Plastic surgery
• Health informatics

Background:

• Photo documentation is crucial in plastic surgery.
• Smartphone applications for point-of-care clinical imaging are not widely adopted, especially in smaller hospitals.
• Developing in-house applications requires significant investment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement a standardized photo documentation pathway in plastic surgery.
• To leverage existing certified mobile medical photo applications.
• To overcome the financial and technical barriers of developing a new application.

Main Methods:

• Collaborated with an external company offering a certified medical photo capturing mobile application.
• Integrated the existing application into the hospital's workflow.
• Established a standardized photo documentation process.

Main Results:

• Successfully implemented a standardized photo documentation pathway.
• Utilized a pre-existing, certified mobile application.
• Avoided the need for substantial investment in new application development.

Conclusions:

• Partnering with external vendors for certified medical applications is a feasible solution for standardized photo documentation.
• This approach enables smaller institutions to adopt advanced clinical imaging practices cost-effectively.
• Standardized photo documentation enhances patient care and surgical outcomes in plastic surgery.