Care homes and
thermography

Thermal imaging for care homes

Early Diagnostics

Assessment of the location and extent of the problem area and observation of changes before clinical signs appear

Pain & MSD

Verification, observation, and documentation of pain and musculoskeletal disorders

Monitoring and Rehabilitation

Monitoring the effectiveness of treatment and rehabilitation progress using thermal imaging

Thermal Comfort

Thermal comfort modelling of residents with different perception of heat (minimise cold or heat strain)

“We were able to make faster medical decisions, resulting in better outcomes, decreasing the use of expensive diagnostic exams, and in one case avoid a toe amputation.”

Infrared thermography is a timely and reliable method for nursing practitioners in pressure injury risk assessment.

Fuman Cai, 2020. Application of infrared thermography in the early warning of pressure injury: a prospective observational study

In the aforementioned study, 415 patients admitted to the adult intensive care units were enrolled by a convenience sampling method, and they received a follow-up monitoring for 10 days.

The risk of pressure injury was assessed via Braden scale, and thermal images of the sacral area were obtained by infrared thermal imager once a day.

Read the full study »

Case: Pressure ulcer prevention

  • 78-year-old male, retirement home resident
  • Paralysis of the left side of the body due to a cerebral infarction
  • Fully bedridden, cannot sit up without assistance or change sides independently
  • A thermal image was taken in connection with a routine physiotherapy session
  • The thermal image revealed a high-risk area of ulceration on the paralyzed side of the back which was not yet visible to the naked eye
  • As a result, healthcare personnel were able to commit daily measures (assisted sitting, frequent side changes) to prevent the formation of an ulcer

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)

  • IRT is the preferred method for initial DVT investigation (over ultrasound and venography)
  • Fast, easy, non-invasive, risk-free
  • Instant, highly intuitive output
  • Provides considerable cost savings
  • IRT initial test of choice before proceeding to other more complex and expensive tests
Kaçmaz, Seydi & Erçelebi, Ergun & Zengin, Suat & Cindoruk, Sener. (2017). The Use of Infrared Thermal Imaging in the Diagnosis of Deep Vein Thrombosis. Infrared Physics & Technology. 86. 10.1016/j.infrared.2017.09.005.

Almost 80 % of Pressure Ulcers are not reported, yet absorb 55 % of costs in the UK

  • The Care Quality Commission requires reporting of Stage 3 and 4 pressure ulcers under statutory duty of candour
  • Some 55 % of care home costs related to pressure ulcers are spent treating Stage 1 and 3 Pressure Ulcers
  • Manual skin checks are prone to human error, often resulting in missed early signs and delayed treatment
  • Early detection is key – advanced-stage ulcers can be prevented by promptly identifying and managing Stage 1 and Stage 2 Pressure Ulcers
PU Stage Percent of Care Home Residents (1) Residents Affected PU-related Expenditure (2)
Stage I
5.0 %
22,074
15.4 %
Stage II
3.4 %
15,010
38.9 %
Stage III
1.5 %
6,622
27.6 %
Stage IV
0.8 %
3,532
18.0 %
Totals
10.7 %
47,238
100 %

Assumes UK Care Home residents = 441,479

(1) Sugathapala RDUP, et al. Prevalence and incidence of pressure injuries among older people living in nursing homes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Nurs Stud. 2023 Dec;148:104605. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2023.104605. Epub 2023 Sep 14. PMID: 37801939.

(2) NHS Pressure Ulcers: Productivity Calculator

IRT-384 Tablet

All-in-one mobile solution for thermal imaging including a high-resolution thermal camera and VistaClinic software.

FDA Cleared
CE Certified

We use the device for a large number of cases and our experiences have been very positive. We can recommend the device for various clients.

Stefanie Ott

Dominikus-Ringeisen-Werk

The IRT-based model can objectively and accurately detect pressure injuries one day before visual detection.

Jiang et al, 2022. Application of an infrared thermography-based model to detect pressure injuries: a prospective cohort study

A recent study from China included 263 patients who were screened for pressure injuries in the sacral region. The study showed that the ability of infrared thermography to detect pressure injuries was better than that of the other methods used.

Read the study »

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