Use of Artificial Intelligence‐Driven Wound Care Management to Enhance Access to Care Rural and Northern Communities

ABSTRACT

Wound care remains a high‐priority area for improvement in the Canadian health care system. Older adults aged 65 and older are disproportionately affected by chronic and non‐healing wounds and often experience multiple co‐morbid conditions, challenges which can be further complicated by living in rural and northern areas. A workshop‐based multi‐methods study was conducted to describe rural and northern perspectives on opportunities and feasibility to implement innovative wound care technologies. Each workshop included pre‐ and post‐ workshop surveys, a live demonstration of Swift Skin and Wound, a Q&A session, and facilitated discussion exploring the technology's feasibility, usability, and accessibility in northern and rural care contexts. Participants who volunteered for the study included care staff and healthcare executives (N = 11), described their perspectives on implementing AI‐driven digital wound care management solutions with a focus on integration into health care settings. Three themes were identified including: confidence and optimism in improving wound care management, recognition of the superiority of AI‐driven digital wound care solutions over current practices, and the importance of adaptable change processes for successful adoption. While generalizability may be limited, findings suggest that adopting AI‐driven wound care tools could improve wound assessment accuracy and streamline care for aging populations in rural and northern areas.

1. Introduction

In July 2024, 18.9% of the Canadian population was 65 years or older [1], a figure projected to reach 21.0% by 2028 [2]. The cost of wound care in Canada exceeded $12 billion in 2023 [3] and accounted for 3.1% of total health care expenditures in 2024 [4].

Wound care costs include diagnostic tests, costs of dressings, bandages, adjunctive therapies, medications, facility operation costs, and transportation costs (e.g., ambulance). Wounds often result in loss of income due to reduced time at or ability to work and out‐of‐pocket expenses related to inabilities to undertake domestic responsibilities. Further, wounds can cause financial strain to government and insurance companies through social assistance or disability payments [3]. With an ageing population and rising health care costs, the health care system urgently requires standardised and optimised care practices, collaborative interprofessional communication, cost‐efficient protocols, and ongoing education for health care providers to meet the evolving needs of Canadians.

Best practice recommendations for wound care highlight opportunities to adopt technological tools and resources to enhance health care delivery throughout the continuum of care. Wounds Canada [5] outlined key recommendations for enhancing national wound care management practices and encouraged collaboration between the federal, provincial, and territorial governments to establish national wound care standards. In the most recent Best Practice Recommendations for Wound Care, Rosenthal et al. [6] called for health care professionals to prioritise wound prevention and care to ensure patient services are equitable, timely, coordinated, and accessible across all the care continuum. This includes providing access to evidence‐based wound care products and technologies that improve patient outcomes [5]. In this context, wound care technologies present potential solutions to support clinicians by informing decision‐making, guiding best practices, and enhancing both patient care and cost‐efficiency [5, 7].

Two prevalent risk factors for wound infection are (1) chronic medical conditions or a compromised immune system (e.g., diabetes mellitus (DM), and cancer‐related treatments, autoimmune diseases, anemias, and rheumatoid arthritis) and (2) advanced age [8]. These risk factors are associated with chronic co‐morbidities and compromised immune systems. Considering the prevalent recommendations and risk factors, there is great potential in implementing aging‐focused technology for health care needs management that supports independent living, prevention, and better communication with health care providers. AgeTech presents a promising opportunity to enhance wound care, improve health care management, and support independent living for aging populations.

The aging‐centered subset of the health technology sector, often referred to as AgeTech, utilises technology to improve aging populations and caregivers' quality of life, as well as supporting the labour of medical professionals. Utilisation of AgeTech may enhance and support adaptation of alternative ways to provide care, improve care experiences, lower long‐term care expenditures and requirements, and enable and extend the ability to age in place [9]. AgeTech includes health monitoring devices, telehealth platforms, smart home systems, social connectivity tools, and mobility aids, which are all designed to enhance quality of life and facilitate aging in place [10]. By integrating these solutions into care approaches, AgeTech can improve access to healthcare, reduce social isolation, and promote safety. However, barriers hinder widespread adoption, particularly in northern and rural areas where internet connectivity is limited, digital literacy gaps are prevalent, and affordability remains a concern. Similarly, a sense of fear and mistrust remains a key barrier to scaling AgeTech implementation and scaling from pilot studies to wide‐scale systems‐wide adoption. Privacy concerns and the potential for data misuse are primary sources of this scepticism [11]. These concerns have recently been the subject of much attention, as many family caregivers are employing round‐the‐clock monitoring technologies, such as wearables and at‐home sensors. These devices, which can track a range of metrics over time, offer valuable insights into an individual's overall quality of life. However, the use of such tools comes with inherent privacy risks and potential issues related to data sharing [10]. Cultural responsiveness and accessibility are also critical considerations, as technologies that do not account for local contexts may be underutilised.

2. Background

The phenomenon of wounds has been referred to as the ‘Silent Epidemic’ given their substantial but often unrecognised impact on the health of those who suffer from them, on their careers and on the health care system [12]. Wounds affect quality of life, causing pain, distress, social isolation, anxiety, extended hospital stays, and mortality. Many wound‐related complications are preventable, yet factors such as age and chronic comorbidities can hinder the healing process [13]. Wound care accounts for at least 50% of all nursing visits in the community, and 26% of individuals in acute or non‐acute settings have a pressure injury [5]. However, inconsistent data collection across health care settings remains a barrier to accurately assessing patient progress and operational outcomes [14].

The prevalence of wounds differs across the care continuum. In the Canadian context, non‐healing wounds affect 4% of acute care patients, over 7% of home care patients, nearly 10% of long‐term care patients, and close to 30% of patients in hospital‐based continuing care. Research conducted in Ontario reported pressure ulcer prevalence rates ranging from 8.4% to 29.9%, with more recent findings indicating an 18.9% prevalence in long‐term care homes [15, 16, 17]. Studies in the U.S. and Canada reported that pressure ulcer prevalence ranged from 4.7% to 29.7% in hospitals, 19.2% to 29% in community settings, and 15.3% to 20.7% in nursing homes [18].

Internationally, chronic wounds affect an estimated 1.5–2 million people in Europe and 6.5 million people in the U.S. [19, 20]. In Europe, in 1 year, 64% of wounds treated in home care were chronic, with 24% persisting for over 6 months and 16% persisting for more than a year [21]. Studies in Australia and the U.S. indicate pressure ulcer prevalence rates of 22% in acute critical care settings [22, 23]. However, variations in prevalence estimates arise due to inconsistencies in study methodologies [24]. Globally, research has primarily focused on technological innovations, such as wound monitoring devices and smart dressings [25, 26, 27]. However, despite advancements in wound care technology and data integration, ensuring that research‐driven practices are consistently applied in clinical settings remains a challenge.

Previous research has concentrated on developing wound care products that facilitate tracking the healing process [25, 26, 27]. Among these technological advancements was the use of sensors, scanners, and intelligent technologies incorporated into bandages and dressings. Based on the extent of wound healing, many of the technologies reported positive outcomes [28, 29, 30]. However, there was a lack of details describing the implementation process and limited discussion on whether staff members had favourable opinions of the technologies [25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31]; and [32]. Further, there is a lack of research which explores in detail how technology‐based wound care solutions were successfully and sustainably adopted in the health system to optimise staff efficiency and expenditures, while also reducing health care staff workload.

Continuous monitoring of wound status is necessary to improve access to prompt and efficient wound assessment; in certain instances, real‐time monitoring technologies were created [26, 31, 33]. Assessing physiochemical markers, such as temperature, pH, humidity, inflammatory factors, and bacterial enzymes is one way to monitor wounds [34, 35]. To standardise the assessment of chronic wounds, which is now acknowledged globally, the Clinical Signs and Symptoms Checklist (CSSC), was designed to objectively measure 12 clinical signs and symptoms of localised chronic wound infection, incorporated temperature of the inflammation and infection states as a classic symptom. The use of these symptoms as indicators has long supported the need for digital wound monitoring and management [36, 37]. Most recently, the COVID‐19 pandemic challenged existing service delivery around the world. While telehealth was prioritised and expanded by many organisations, wound care services continued to be difficult to provide remotely and commonly require that clinicians and patients continue to engage physically in person. Delivering safe and effective treatment was continuously challenged by the staffing challenges and lack of human resource capacity in health care, especially in remote and rural populations [38]. The most immediate aim of digitised assessment would be to streamline documentation and assessment processes. However, there are multiple factors which hinder sustainable and reliable updates of digital technologies, such as unreliable internet connectivity and lack of digital literacy in remote areas.

According to the Canadian Institute of Health Information (CIHI), in the Canadian health care context, telemedicine has long been used but fell behind in contrast to the international landscape on the adoption of information technologies in relation to the time and capital invested in its implementation [39, 40, 41]. However, there are currently project plans being developed all across the Canadian territory; for example, and more specifically, British Columbia (BC) has declared in the CIHI 2023 report on telemedicine that it will be important to recognise the full value of virtual care in conjunction with in‐person care, particularly to address the health workforce challenges faced across the country [42].

In Canada, wound management technologies are primarily integrated into electronic medical records (EMRs), enhancing data access, remote monitoring, and care coordination. However, a persistent gap remains between research evidence and implementation in clinical practice. Studies suggest that 30%–40% of patients do not receive care aligned with scientific evidence, while some receive unnecessary or harmful treatments [43, 44]. Although the Canadian health care system continues to improve, significant challenges remain in ensuring equitable access to evidence‐based treatments, as many patients still face barriers to receiving recommended care due to accessibility issues and systemic inequities in health care [45].

To address these ongoing challenges, professional and governmental organisations in BC have developed clinical guidelines for wound care. The BC Provincial Nursing Skin and Wound Committee created a set of standardised wound assessment, prevention, and treatment protocols, intended as the primary resource for effective wound care implementation across regional health authorities [40]. For instance, in one regional health authority in BC, Nurses Specialised in Wounds, Ostomy, and Continence (NSWOCs) and physicians assess severe wounds, while Registered Nurses (RNs) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) manage non‐severe wounds according to standardised care plans [46]. Similar protocols are followed across other regional health authorities in BC [47].

Emerging technologies, particularly in AgeTech, offer innovative solutions to support older adults in aging safely at home, improving care experiences, and reducing long‐term care needs. As AgeTech rapidly expands in the consumer market, it is essential for policymakers and funders to ensure its effective implementation in real‐world settings [9]. Addressing these challenges, the Centre for Technology Adoption for Aging in the North (CTAAN) evaluates the feasibility of technology‐driven solutions in health care (www.ctaan.ca). CTAAN recently assessed the usability and scalability of AI‐driven wound care technologies and AgeTech solutions in northern and rural BC. These discussions generated evidence to guide the adoption of wound care innovations in underserved regions, and identifying factors inhibiting or supporting the wound care technology to meet the needs of older adults and care providers.

Integrating wound care technology presents an opportunity to enhance clinical decision‐making, improve equitable access to treatment, and reduce health care costs [7]. Therefore, this study sought to explore the real‐world feasibility of digital wound care solutions within the broader AgeTech landscape.

CTAAN conducted the evaluation of the usability and adaptability of Swift Skin & Wound, a Swift Medical technology developed to streamline the wound management process in a timely and effective manner. Swift Skin & Wound (Swift Medical Inc., Toronto, Canada) is a non‐intrusive digital wound care solution (DWCS) employing AI for standardised wound evaluation. According to research, doctors employing Swift have a 99% measurement consistency, guaranteeing reliability regardless of experience level [48]. Studies indicate that Swift Skin & Wound's approach to wound analytics, automation, and documentation greatly enhances clinical and operational results. It claims to have significantly shortened the time it takes for pressure injuries to heal [49] and saved physicians a great deal of time while evaluating wounds [50]. Furthermore, it assesses wound size accurately regardless of variations in skin tone or wound bed features [51]. According to a recent comparative study by Mohammed et al. [52], that examined clinical outcomes, the nurses working in the branches that implemented the technology saved up to 444 513 min, or 309 days, in conducting in‐home wound care visits after putting it into practice. In contrast, the control group increased the amount of time spent conducting the visits by 42 days. Swift has demonstrated in previous research that, in addition to lowering the expense and frequency of medical visits, its strategy promotes more efficient clinical care, which speeds up wound healing and makes it easier to manage more complex wound cases each year [52].

3. Materials and Methods

3.1. Study Design

Between April and May 2024, CTAAN and Swift Medical conducted a mixed‐methods workshop‐based study. Two 2.5 h virtual workshops were conducted, which served as the primary sources of qualitative data to explore participants' perspectives. Audio recordings from the workshops were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis, and quantitative survey data was used to contextualise findings using descriptive statistics. Virtual meetings were conducted via the Zoom platform and hosted by an account managed by the UNBC Enterprise licences for Zoom.

3.2. Ethical Considerations

Participants were provided with a comprehensive information letter and completed a consent form before each workshop. Participants reaffirmed consent prior to the start of each workshop, and were informed that throughout the workshop, they may choose not to answer any questions, and they may withdraw from the workshop early without penalty. Ethics approval was obtained from the University of Northern British Columbia Ethics Board (H22‐00499), Northern Health Operations Board (RRC‐2022‐004), and the National Research Council (2022–56).

3.3. Participant Recruitment

Participants were recruited based on their interest in technology and professional or personal involvement in topics such as wound management, health care provision, facility management, and caregiving. The AgeTech Discussions: Exploring Perspectives on Technology (ADEPT) workshops intentionally apply flexible eligibility criteria to capture multidisciplinary perspectives on technology adoption in regions facing health care delivery challenges. For this study, most participants held managerial or directorial roles, while others worked as nurses or care aides.

With a combination of convenience and snowball recruitment methods, maximum variation sampling techniques were applied to ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion in recruitment. Participants were identified by contacting individuals from a pool of prospective participants who had provided previous permission to be contacted for research studies. Prospective research participants included a diverse range of health care providers, managers, frontline workers, caregivers, potential end‐users, and older adults living in northern BC. The research team distributed posters and invitations across contact lists other than the prospective participant pool. CTAAN contacted local community and non‐profit organisations as well as older adult health care facilities to spread the workshop invitation to a wider audience. A research assistant followed up with prospective participants via phone or email to coordinate participation in the workshop. Ultimately, the study included 11 participants with experience in long‐term care, community care, and hospice care settings, as well as digital health.

3.4. Measurement

ADEPT workshops use a standardised protocol (see Table 1), with a facilitated group discussion tailored to the featured technology. Data was collected through pre‐workshop surveys, presentation and demonstration, a Question and Answer section during the workshops with representatives of the technology, facilitated group discussions in which participants’ perspectives on prepared questions are shared, and finally, a post‐workshop survey.

TABLE 1.

ADEPT protocol for skin and wound workshops.

ADEPT protocol	Swift skin and wound workshops
Pre‐workshop Survey	Questions on demographic information, experience with/attitudes toward wound care management in their respective roles/settings
Presentation & Demo	Swift Medical presented Swift Skin & Wound, detailing the functions, capabilities, current research/outcomes, and the physical interface, finishing with a live demo of the technology
Question and Answer Session	Swift Medical answered participant questions on Swift Skin & Wound
Facilitated Group Discussion	Led by a trained CTAAN staff member without Swift Medical present. The guide which was used to direct discussions focused on soliciting information around: ‐Current skin and wound assessments, wound care management ‐Wound care technology ‐Swift Skin & Wound ‐Northern and rural BC community and care contexts ‐Decision planning ‐Economic viability ‐Implementation considerations and required support. Prompts used to elicit participant views and experiences were open‐ended opinion‐ and experience‐based questions
Post‐workshop survey	Questions on Swift Skin & Wound, satisfaction with the presentation/demonstration, general workshop facilitation, and organisation

Workshop recordings were transcribed verbatim and de‐identified to maintain participant confidentiality. Qualitative data underwent thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke's [53] six‐phase inductive approach: familiarising the researcher with the data, creating initial codes, searching for themes, reviewing themes, identifying and naming themes, and preparing the report. Extracts from discussions were integrated into an analytical narrative, contextualised with relevant literature and research objectives. A consensus approach ensured that selected quotes and themes accurately reflected participants' perspectives, strengthening the validity of recommendations to Swift Medical. Quantitative survey data were analysed descriptively to summarise demographics, attitudes toward wound care, and satisfaction ratings using SPSS version 29 [54]. Quantitative data were combined with qualitative insights to contextualise participant demographics and reinforce the validity of their expressed views. Further, the quantitative data were integrated to describe participant perspectives on feedback on the technology.

4. Results

Of the 11 participants engaged in the study, nine identified as female and two as male. Participants reported a wide range of ages: 36–50 (n = 5), 50–65 (n = 4), 65+ (n = 1), and one was not specified. The majority of participants held managerial and directorship roles in health care settings, while the rest worked as frontline nurses and care aides. Around half of the participants were uncertain about the need for technology like Swift Skin & Wound in their care settings. However, those who saw a need for it believed it could enhance wound care quality, patient outcomes, provider efficiency, and collaboration by integrating the platform with existing care systems. While most participants lacked direct experience with this type of technology, they agreed on essential features for a wound care management system, including wound identification, tracking, care planning, and treatment recommendations. Participants emphasised the importance of ease of use, seamless integration with current systems, and compliance with privacy regulations.

The findings are presented in a thematic narrative format in which three key themes emerged from the analysis as follows: (1)—Confidence and hope for improved wound care and management, (2)—Swift Skin and Wound as a superior tool to enhance treatment and care compared to current practices, and (3)—Adaptive change processes for successful adoption.

4.1. Theme 1: Confidence and Hope for Improved Wound Care and Management

Participants responded positively to advanced functionality, AI capabilities, and the potential to enhance health care outcomes for providers, patients, and the health care system. Experiences of managing chronic wounds and the discouragement that arises when healing progress is stagnant were shared, and participants anticipated improved wound outcomes through AI‐driven measurement, tracking, and analysis. “I would say that from what I saw in the demonstration [Swift Skin and Wound] looks really great and innovative and super cool. I think it's something that definitely piqued my interest as a nurse and I wish I would have had when I was actually practicing bedside for sure.”

Participants also foresaw Swift Skin and Wound as potential support for health care providers by offering real‐time insights into the impact of their care. Additionally, participants suggested that implementation could encourage expanding the scope of practice for certain health care roles, particularly health care aids (HCAs), who spend significant time with patients yet are often excluded from collaborative care discussions. “Realistically, [HCAs] are the ones that are going to catch something before it becomes… like they're going to see a change in color, they're going to see something that doesn't look right… it also gives them a tool to feel empowered that they're taking control of their own patient/resident. So, I think for like that would be amazing if somehow their scope of practice could be integrated in this—that would be huge.” Participants highlighted how including HCAs in wound management could not only enhance teamwork and patient outcomes but also bring greater meaning to their role. “It's the pride and confidence and honestly, I think [Swift Skin and Wound] would improve morale because I mean, how many times have we seen a wound that doesn't seem to get anywhere or do anything, and you kind of feel like: what's the motivation?”

Beyond its direct clinical applications, participants envisioned Swift Skin and Wound as a valuable educational tool for training both new and experienced care providers, offering a more practical approach to wound care education. Furthermore, participants saw the potential for its use in advanced wound care training for doctors and clinical specialists. In discussing broader applications, participants suggested that Swift Skin and Wound could empower individuals in northern, rural, and remote communities to take a more active role in their own wound care.

4.2. Theme 2: A Superior Tool to Enhance Treatment and Care Compared to Current Practices

When discussing the role of technology in wound care from the participants' professional experience and roles, participants compared the AI‐Driven Wound Care Management to the current system they were using as their primary wound management software. Participants highlighted the lack of advanced functionality in the systems they were currently using and in comparsion viewed Swift Skin and Wound as a more dynamic tool that supports proactive solutions, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes. “I think [Swift Skin and Wound] really does look at more the prevention end of the scale where [Current Technology They are Using] is really just a documentation tool.” Participants highlighted that their current solutions rely on manual measurement and data entry, making them susceptible to human error and inconsistencies among health care providers. In contrast, the AI‐driven measurement and predictive capabilities were seen as revolutionary for enhancing wound management strategies at a broader scale.

Participants particularly valued advanced wound visualisation, tracking, and analysis features, which they believed could promote a deeper understanding of wound progression and facilitate more timely treatment decisions. Participants found that Swift Skin and Wound's tools that enabled proactive decision‐making by compiling wound care data, while connecting interdisciplinary clinicians to enhance collaboration, visibility, and efficiency through consistent documentation, also support an advanced wound management protocol (for more information on technology specifics and details of Swift Skin and Wound compared to other tools widely used across the province, please see Supporting Information). “There's so many features and going forward…the accreditation piece…so that you have that documentation when you're going through the accreditation process to pull it out, say, ‘here's what we've done, this is our program, it's been successful’.” These capabilities were not only seen as critical for improving individual patient outcomes but also for identifying population‐level wound care trends. By detecting patterns across communities, the tool could help inform education initiatives, staffing needs, and resource allocation.

Additionally, participants recognised the potential of Swift Skin & Wound for improving staff accountability and meeting facilities' accreditation requirements through its ability to capture accurate and consistent wound data. “[Swift Skin and Wound] is a little nicer that way—there's not disjointed pieces of data all over the place, because right now we kind of have to go and collect it and pull it, analyze it, and [Swift Skin and Wound] is kind of all‐in‐one spot.”

Participants believed that the implementation of Swift Skin and Wound could result in significant improvement in efficiency, data accuracy, collaboration, and overall quality of care, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes.

4.3. Theme 3: Adaptive Change Processes for Successful Adoption

While many participants recognised the advantages of Swift Skin and Wound's AI capabilities and broader functionality, some questioned whether the overlap between their existing software and Swift Skin and Wound justified replacing the current provincially shared platform. This led to mixed opinions on implementation, with some participants concerned about the practicality of transitioning to a new wound management system. “I think [Swift Skin and Wound] would be relatively easy to adopt. I think the nuances may be a little more challenging, but kind of getting it started, because we're already taking pictures, we're already doing some of that tracking… [Swift Skin and Wound] may be an easier sell because it's one shot, one place…” The inconsistencies in charting methods, EMR usage, and adoption across northern health regions were seen as potential barriers to integrating Swift Skin and Wound, especially as the reasons behind these inconsistencies remained unclear.

In addition, participants discussed how the lack of standardised wound care management practices across northern communities poses challenges for uniform implementation. In smaller communities, where practice standards differ significantly, deploying a new system consistently would be more complex. Despite these concerns, participants also saw opportunities to build acceptance for Swift Skin and Wound. “It would be nice as well to connect with someone in [province] who has utilized [Swift Skin and Wound] in a similar sized community…just to see how their learning curve was with their implementation and what adoption was like.” Participants emphasised the importance of a gradual, adaptive approach to implementation, ensuring end‐users were poised for success from the outset.

Participants highlighted that widespread staff shortages and turnover in the health care settings could impact the system's uptake. Some participants proposed a trial period to allow health care providers to explore how Swift Skin and Wound could fit into their roles without immediate pressure for widespread uptake. “You'd want to set up the initial training and then you'd want to have somebody to champion [Swift Skin and Wound] …we like to set those types of people up so that they can help to reinforce that. One of the things that we have in health care too, or challenge in health care, is a continuous turnover rate where we have agency staff coming in.” Participants reflected on the factors influencing Swift Skin and Wound's potential adoption in northern areas and discussed actionable ways to facilitate a smooth and successful integration of this new clinical system.

5. Discussion

The implementation of AI‐Driven Wound Care Management in the health care setting offers significant benefits, including enhanced documentation, improved workflow efficiency, and data‐driven decision‐making. Successful and sustainable implementation is contingent on addressing key barriers related to the training of frontline workers, apprehension from nursing staff about wound management protocol changes, and systemic constraints. A primary advantage of Swift Skin and Wound is its ability to improve accuracy and efficiency in wound documentation. Participants noted that the technology has the potential to enhance workflow by reducing time spent on manual documentation, allowing health care providers to focus more on direct patient care. Moreover, the data‐driven approach facilitates comprehensive wound assessments and supports better clinical decision‐making. The findings from this study highlight a range of recommendations to improve wound care quality across the continuum of care shown in Table 2.

TABLE 2.

Recommendations provided by CTAAN for Swift skin and wound inter‐facility implementation.

Opportunities	Recommendation
Serve as an education tool to expand the scope of practice for frontline workers and advance wound care training for specialised care providers.	Explore how Swift Skin and Wound can support health care aides in expanding their scope of practice and integrate them into platform's information flow. Develop case studies within the platform to help frontline staff improve their skills in wound management.
Enhance training and supports to build confidence among frontline workers.	Establish peer‐to‐peer mentorship programs where early adopters guide new users through shared experiences and support.
Enable patients to take an active role in their wound care process.	Explore how patients can leverage Swift Skin and Wound's AI‐driven capabilities to collaborate seamlessly with remote health care providers.
Improve efficiency, data accuracy, collaboration, and quality of care.	Work with health authorities to ensure the platform is tailored to specific needs and provides optimal wound care compared to current practices.
Identify patterns across communities to enhance wound management strategies.	Develop promotional materials featuring case studies from similar geographic locations to showcase Swift Skin and Wound's outcomes.
Provide real‐time insights into health care providers' impact in facilities.	Collaborate to understand accreditation‐related data needs Create seamless data gathering pathways for staff.
Ensure compatibility across systems, including offline functionality and cloud‐based storage.	Work with facilities implementing the platform to provide timely, on‐site support for smooth adoption.
Integration with existing Electronic Medical Records (EMRs).	Partner with health authorities to understand the clinical systems landscape and integrate Swift Skin and Wound efficiently to minimise redundancy and ensure integration with existing EMRs.
Provide trial period to ease adoption.	Offer free trial periods to relieve the pressure of immediate adoption and encourage uptake.
Allow customization/personalization of workflow features.	Ensure platform flexibility to align with different user needs and workflows.
Implement gradual adoption to facilitate transition and address site‐specific context	Work with health authorities to support a full system transition, including privacy impact assessments and security threat evaluations.

Despite these advantages, resistance to change emerged as a significant barrier to implementation. The participants expressed concerns regarding the shift from traditional analogue wound documentation methods to digital platforms. This resistance was partly attributed to a lack of familiarity with AI‐Driven Wound Care Management technology and concerns about the ease of learning to use Artificial Intelligence technology, considering previous strategies implemented and health authorities' protocols of wound assessment ([55], Northern [46, 47]). Additionally, time constraints within clinical settings made it challenging for staff to allocate time for comprehensive training, further exacerbating difficulties in adoption. Systemic constraints, such as limited access to necessary technological infrastructure and inadequate support resources, also hindered the possibility of seamless integration. The need for robust training programmes and ongoing technical support was emphasised as crucial for facilitating adoption and maximising the benefits of the technology, consequently aligning with best practice recommendations provided by Canadian Wound Management and assessment protocols authorities [7].

Training and organisational support, including hands‐on training sessions, continuous education, and leadership involvement in fostering a culture of technological adoption, are critical to successful implementation. Addressing technological and human factors is essential for optimising use in health care settings. Future implementations should focus on tailored training initiatives that accommodate the diverse needs of health care providers. Leadership support, clear communication about the benefits of the technology, and strategies to mitigate resistance to change will be critical for long‐term success. Integrating feedback from end‐users into the ongoing development of the system can enhance user experience and ensure that the technology aligns with clinical workflows.

In Canada, evidence‐based wound care has yet to be optimally integrated into health care and is inequitably accessible to patients across different geographies. Interprofessional teams often do not have access to basic wound care products or standard‐of‐care technology and practices that could detect and prevent chronic wounds from developing. Many front‐line workers, including doctors and nurses, have little training in wound prevention and management. By prioritising factors such as training and institutional support, organisations can leverage the potential of Swift Skin and Wound technology to improve equity in access to high‐quality and clinically efficient patient care.

The primary concerns regarding implementation were centred around cost and potential compatibility issues with current clinical platforms. With increased investment in preventative wound care, governments across Canada could improve patient outcomes, reduce hospitalisations and readmissions, and quickly reduce health care expenditures related to wounds. For instance, according to Wounds Canada [5], adoption of best practices, which includes an emphasis on preventive care, could reduce wound costs in home care by 40%–50%. This could, in turn, provide budget for additional prevention and education programmes, and ultimately accomplish effective and seamless wound care across facilities in provincial and territorial health authorities.

Limitations of this study include a relatively small participant cohort, partly due to the low numbers of health care professionals concerned with wound management in northern and rural areas of BC. This affects staffing levels as well as the availability of specialised personnel in wound care management within Northern and Interior health authorities able to participate in research. While the study included managerial, directorial, and frontline nursing perspectives, engaging persons with lived experiences of wounds could have provided further insights into patients' potential benefits from Swift Skin and Wound. Indeed, the necessity of incorporating patient perspectives throughout programme and policy development is increasingly recognised, particularly by proponents of co‐creation frameworks (e.g., [56]).

6. Conclusion

This study explored the insights of northern, rural, and remote health care providers who participated in workshops to discuss perspectives on Swift Skin and Wound technology. Through qualitative analysis of facilitated discussions, three overarching themes emerged, highlighting the potential for this technology to enhance wound care practices, increase provider confidence, and support adaptive change processes for successful adoption. Participants emphasised the need for system compatibility, practical implementation strategies, and tailored integration to maximise the platform's effectiveness within existing health care frameworks. The findings suggest that Swift Skin and Wound offers a promising avenue for improving wound care in resource‐limited settings. However, its implementation requires careful consideration of logistical, regulatory, and educational factors to ensure sustained adoption and impact. Forthcoming efforts should focus on collaborative engagement with health authorities, frontline providers, and policymakers to facilitate seamless integration and optimise the platform's potential. Moreover, future research and pilot initiatives will be essential for refining implementation strategies and evaluating long‐term outcomes.

Ethics Statement

Ethics approval was obtained from the University of Northern British Columbia Ethics Board (H22‐00499), Northern Health Operations Board (RRC‐2022‐004), and the National Research Council (2022‐56).

Consent

Participants were provided with a comprehensive information letter and completed a consent form before each workshop. Participants reaffirmed consent prior to the start of each workshop, and were informed that throughout the workshop, they may choose not to answer any questions, and they may withdraw from the workshop early without penalty.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Supporting information

Data S1: Supporting Information.

Freeman S., Sargent M. J., Galarza L. R., McAloney R., and Rossnagel E., “Use of Artificial Intelligence‐Driven Wound Care Management to Enhance Access to Care Rural and Northern Communities,” International Wound Journal 22, no. 10 (2025): e70767, 10.1111/iwj.70767.

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.