Characteristics of Digital Health Platforms for Wound Management: Content Analysis Through Systematic Review and Search of App Stores (Preprint)

BACKGROUND With the development of interdisciplinary research, digital health exhibits considerable potential in wound management, and artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a vital technology in wound image recognition and the construction of risk prediction models which plays a significant role in promoting wound management. OBJECTIVE This scoping review aims to systematically review the current state of digital health platforms (DHP) designed for wound management. Specifically, we focus on the AI-powered functions of these apps to explore the gaps between the research and practical application of machine learning. METHODS According to the scoping review methodology, mainstream app markets including GooglePlay (Android), AppStore (iOS), Huawei App Market (Harmony) and other types of DHPs were searched by keywords, installed and screened out. At the same time, PubMed (MEDLINE), Embase (OVID), Cochrane Library, Web of Science, IEEE Xplore, CNKI, Wanfang were searched and recorded, supplementing the incomplete part of the app stores. Qualifying DHPs were evaluated based on parameters such as characteristics, functionality, usage, privacy and security. RESULTS In total, 23,894 documents were searched, resulting in 51 compliant studies. The DHPs for wound management encompassed 65 mobile apps, 3 Software as a Service (SaaS), 1 Progressive Web Application (PWA), and 2 Electronic Health Records (EHR), with an aggregate of 52 being launched on app stores. The majority were for chronic wounds or all types of wound management (43/52, 82.7%), and over half of the apps are AI-powered(33/52, 63.5%). Overall, wound management apps occupied a limited part of the app market, which were characterized by low download volumes, delayed updates, and predominantly single-functionality, rendering them insufficient to fulfill the requirements of home-based wound management for patients. And most of launched apps lacked the support of academic studies (39/52, 75.0%), which couldn’t guarantee to be scientific. And only a modest portion of DHPs mentioned in articles had real-world applicability (17/71, 23.9%). CONCLUSIONS In this review, DHPs have proliferated for research or commercial use which facilitate the management of chronic wound and surgical wound. Given the digital health landscape, propelling the development and AI integration of apps is crucial as they can cater to individual needs, promote self-management and contribute significantly to wound management. Nonetheless, the quality, function, privacy and security of the existing launched wound management apps vary significantly, necessitating further research to address disparities and challenges. CLINICALTRIAL https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/MGPEU.