Medline Introduces Wound Measurement Software

MUNDELEIN, Ill. -- Medline Industries Inc., the nation's largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of medical supplies, announces the release of PictZar®, a new  medical software program designed to help clinicians more accurately measure and track the progress of wound healing to promote better care.

Research indicates that clinicians able to accurately track the rate of wound healing can actually promote a better outcome. 

"With accurate measurements and documentation, a clinician is able to more quickly and accurately identify when a wound is not responding appropriately to a specific course of treatment and then change course accordingly, said Medline vice president of clinical education Margaret Falconio-West, RN, APN/CNS, BSN, CGRN, ET, CWOCN, DAPWCA.

PictZar is a user friendly software program that will virtually eliminate the potential for human error in wound measurement and progress tracking. The clinician simply takes a digital image of the wound and a ruler. Instead of using the ruler to measure the wound, (which can be extremely difficult if the wound is an odd shape) the ruler becomes a calibration tool. The clinician then loads the image of the wound and ruler onto a computer. With a few simple clicks of the mouse PictZar calibrates to that ruler accurately calculating and recording the length, width, area and circumference of the wound.

"This software will be an enormous asset for healthcare facilities and their patients.  Accurately tracking chronic wounds allows for better diagnosis and improved outcomes, said Medline dermal management systems president Jonathan Primer. "In addition, PictZar will help facilities comply with CMS guidelines on wound care and help prevent citations.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requires clinicians to clearly document the assessment and treatment of a wound.  PictZar will help provide critical documentation as it tracks wound progress by calculating the change in the area of the wound. The program then produces charts and graphs to demonstrate the change. PictZar can compile wound measurement reports in Excel and Microsoft Word.  

Source: Medline