AI study seeking to improve the prevention and management of pressure ulcers
The new research study has launched at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals (DBTH), with researchers hoping to share their findings across the NHS to help diminish the incidence and severity of pressure ulcers.
A new AI-powered research project is using patient data, including age, height, weight, pressure ulcer risk factors and stage of ulcer, to help improve clinical understanding around the prevention and management of pressure ulcers.
Pressure ulcers are when an area of skin becomes distressed due to prolonged contact with another surface, causing an injury to the underlying tissue. They are sometimes known as ‘pressure sores’ and ‘bedsores’. Daily, the NHS spends over £1.4 million on treating pressure ulcers.
The study aims to tackle this using an AI tool to develop for each patient a personalised care plan based on expected outcomes, suggesting a treatment plan which is also the most efficient and effective treatment, as well as holding the lowest carbon and economic cost.
The study, conducted by Scientists at Tunley Environmental, is currently in its early stages at DBTH, the only NHS Trust involved. Tunley Environmental’s team also works on initiatives in other sectors such as healthcare optimisation, utilising in-house PhD specialisations in artificial intelligence development.
This work was commissioned and funded by SBRI Healthcare. SBRI Healthcare is an Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC) initiative, in partnership with the Health Innovation Network. The views expressed in the publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of SBRI Healthcare or its stakeholders.
The study is currently in its data collection stage, meaning that clinicians are collecting anonymised data about patients with pressure ulcers, pressure ulcer prevention and treatment plans, and the outcomes and then feeding this data to the AI tool.
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