Researchers want better policies, ethical considerations before telehealth used more widely for chronic wounds

New policies and more ethical considerations are needed before telehealth can be an adequate option for addressing and treating patients with chronic wounds, a recent study finds.

In the United States, several million older adults account for approximately 85% of chronic wound cases, which often may be a side effect of diabetes. Chronic wounds are present in 11% of long-term care residents.

The study addressed five categories that constituted barriers to effective telehealth care: lack of effective policy making and internet access; ethical challenges such as privacy breaches; cultural and socioeconomic issues; and insufficient tech literacy; and, maybe most importantly, the difficulty in physically examining wounds via a virtual interface.

The study authors were not against the use of telehealth for chronic wound care outright, and they acknowledged that telehealth has greatly expanded care options and access, particularly during the pandemic.

The findings, they said, were meant more to provide a framework for currently evaluating telehealth care rather than a reason to dismiss it outright.

“This study can help policymakers formulate instructions to develop virtual care for patients with chronic wounds, decrease the concerns about virtual care, and adopt policies to improve the quality of virtual care provided by wound therapist nurses,” the study authors wrote.

The researchers are from Iran, where specific cultural and technological challenges exist — Iran has no virtual care options for chronic wounds at all, the authors stated — that may not apply to other geographic regions. But even in the United States, a continued need exists to provide both wireless access and tech training for certain senior populations, such as those in rural areas.

Although addressing chronic wounds through telehealth may be problematic, one promising technology solution could be “smart” bandages that simultaneously monitor the condition.

Within the senior living and care space, some debate has occurred about the proper timeline for treating and dressing chronic wounds, with at least one expert maintaining that daily dressing is essential protocol.