The Reliability of a Handheld Wound Measurement and Documentation Device in Clinical Practice

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the precision (intra- and interrater variability) and usability of a new handheld wound measurement device designed to measure wound surface area and depth across a range of typical wound types. SUBJECTS AND SETTING: Raters included a doctor, a nurse, and a novice who was unfamiliar with wound care and the study equipment. Patients of Nurse Maude, a community-based home health organization in Christchurch, New Zealand, were assessed at either the wound clinic or the patient's home. METHOD: Five repeated area and depth measurements were made on 5 different wounds by the 3 raters, resulting in up to 75 area and depth measurements. The time taken to make each measurement was also recorded. INSTRUMENT: This study evaluated a handheld wound imaging, measurement, and documentation device (SilhouetteMobile, ARANZ Medical Limited, Christchurch, New Zealand). RESULTS: Variances and coefficients of variation (CV) between raters (interrater) and within raters (intrarater) over the 5 wounds were calculated, as was the intraclass correlation coefficient. Inter-and intrarater precision for surface area was 3.2% and 2.6%, respectively, and depth 13.5% and 5.5%, respectively; intraclass correlation coefficients for area and depth were 99.76% and 98.95%, respectively. Approximately 2 minutes were required to capture photographic documentation and perform area and depth measurements. Use of the device provided practitioners and patients with immediate feedback on wound healing progress. CONCLUSION: The device was found to have low intra-and interrater variation. The photographic record and measurements can be collected in approximately 2 minutes and in a noncontact fashion. A novice user was able to use the device proficiently with 1 hour of training.