As part of the France 2030 plan's "Digital Health" national acceleration strategy, the IN CITU (INnovations CIToyennes en santé nUmérique) project stands out as a flagship initiative. Spearheaded by Lille University Hospital in collaboration with its partners, including Pixacare, this project aims to fill the gap in experimental sites for the digital healthcare sector.
Hospital practitioners at Lille University Hospital are already using Pixacare to manage medical photo management. However, as part of the In CITU project, they will be integrating a new feature of the application dedicated to documentation and remote monitoring of wounds. Indeed, the IN CITU project in collaboration with Pixacare aims to introduce the use of a platform for remote monitoring of chronic wound healing.
In today's medical landscape, the management of chronic wounds faces a number of challenges, not least the complexity of coordinating hospital and home care. Interruptions in chronic wound management can lead to a lack of responsiveness to healing complications. What's more, to monitor the progress of wounds, private practice nurses are often forced to send photos to specialists via unsecured channels, raising concerns about confidentiality and security.
To improve management of patients suffering from chronic wounds at home, practitioners will be using Pixacare, a secure city/hospital remote monitoring application.
The aim is to create a network of experts available remotely to support homecare professionals and ensure continuity of care in the event of complications. With Pixacare, the referring physician can set up remote monitoring, providing access to a patient file shared by all the healthcare professionals involved. This record can be used to add photos, complete medical questionnaires and monitor wound healing. A secure messaging system enables exchanges concerning wound progress and patient status.
What's more, the photo-based manual wound trimming module can be used to analyze the wound's size, and is intended to provide a standardized method for calculating its surface area. This module is a Class I (CE) Medical Device.
The trial will involve a cohort of 150 patients at Lille University Hospital, over the typical 3-4 month treatment period for chronic wounds. This randomized, prospective study will assess the impact of the Pixacare application on wound follow-up, and measure a number of key indicators.
The expected results are promising: a reduction in unnecessary face-to-face consultations, better coordination between caregivers and a reduction in associated costs. All this while maintaining quality of care.
In the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers, a recent French study published in The Lancet Regional Health - Europe, demonstrated that remote wound monitoring by a specialist nurse halves medical costs. In particular, by reducing the length of hospital stays, without increasing the risk of amputation. To find out more, click here.
The partnership between Pixacare and the Lille University Hospital stands out not only for its ambition to solve an urgent medical problem, but also for its potential to transform the telemedicine landscape in France.
By focusing on chronic wounds, this partnership targets a significant proportion of the population, representing almost 2 million people a year. These patients require constant, specialized medical care.
This is a major step forward for telemedicine in France, particularly for homecare nurses, who will be integrated into the care pathway and connected to the hospital.
The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of technology on improving the care of chronic wounds, while optimizing costs. Only time will tell how much of a difference this partnership can make to the sector, but early indications are very promising.
