Authors: (including presenting author): :
Lam KKA, Ho CW, Au TY, Chan KHS, Li CMJ
Affiliation: :
Department of Surgery, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, Hong Kong East Cluster
Keyword 1: :
Wound Assessment
Keyword 2: :
Wound Management Plan
Introduction: :
Wound assessment is a critical component of effective wound care, where incorrect diagnoses can lead to significantly different treatment outcomes. The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare offers promising avenues for improving this assessment process, but the comparison between AI capabilities and the expertise of nurses in wound assessment remains underexplored.
Objectives: :
This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of AI versus nurses in wound assessment and treatment plan, including the role of free AI applications currently available to practitioners.
Methodology: :
During October till December 2025, we recruited a diverse group of 30 nurses. These participants varied in rank, from Advanced Practice Nurses (APN) to Registered Nurses (RN), and were drawn from various healthcare settings, including hospitals and community care, with clinical work experience varied from 5-20 years. Every nurse needed to review 2 video scripts with details of patient's wound history, a Wound Nurse Consultant established a model answer to facilitate comparison and identify similarities and differences between free AI tools.
Result & Outcome: :
Qualitative findings shown:
•Nurses articulated the importance of considering factors such as patient history, emotional state, and lifestyle, thus enabling them to create tailored treatment plans. •In contrast, AI responses were often generalized. They give a comprehensive overview of wound management but lack specificity. Even though AI could identify common wound conditions, they constantly overlooked individual nuances. Nowadays free AI applications are widely accessible and can efficiently generate baseline assessments and general recommendations. However, they are less effective in handling complex wounds that requires contextual knowledge and individualized care strategies. Additionally, the utility of AI heavily relies on the quality of input data and the sophistication of its algorithms. Leading to the conclusion that AI cannot replace critical thinking skills and clinical judgment of trained wound nurses, thus they remain essential in delivering personalized patient care. This study emphasizes the need for continuous education and training in wound care for nursing professionals and ongoing collaboration between technology and healthcare providers to enhance patient outcomes.
