Brightshores Research Institute, in collaboration with partners Swift Medical, Giishkaandago’Ikwe Health Services, the National Research Council of Canada, and the Centre for Technology Adoption for Aging in the North at the University of Northern British Columbia, is creating an Advanced AI Wound Care Network.
This ambitious initiative is focused on driving the adoption of innovative wound care technology designed to provide precise measurements and assessments of wounds. The core of this groundbreaking technology lies in its ability to capture detailed images of wounds, coupled with a digital dashboard and documentation system enhanced by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The implementation of the Advanced AI Wound Care Network will empower frontline healthcare staff with a mobile tool capable of delivering accurate and standardized wound descriptions, which can assist in escalation and prioritization to the Nurse Specialist in Wound, Ostomy, and Continence (NSWOC). Leveraging AI predictions, clinicians will be guided in their care decisions, fostering improved patient outcomes and continuity of care.
Brightshores Research Institute is receiving $1.6 million of funding for this project from DIGITAL, Canada’s Global Innovation Cluster for digital technologies.
Interim Progress Highlights (August 2025)
- Swift Medical’s technology, SWIFT Skin and Wound, has been implemented at the 6 hospital sites across Brightshores Health System
- SWIFT Skin and Wound has promoted standardized and detailed wound assessments with 100% of wound assessments now in EMR, representing a significant increase in documentation of wound assessments.
- Frontline staff are taking on wound assessments, reducing reliance on specialized nurses (NSWOC)
- Preliminary findings indicate a potential reduction in Emergency Department visits and amputations among patients assessed with Swift Skin and Wound.
- 100% of surveyed patients:
- found taking measurements using SWIFT’s technology more comfortable than traditional paper ruler methods
- felt wound photographs helped in tracking progress of their wounds
- felt included in decisions related to wound care when their care provider used SWIFT’s technology and shared the wound images with them
- felt the information provided by SWIFT Skin and Wound made them more confident in their treatment plan
- felt viewing their progress made them more committed to following their care plan
Full evaluation report to be released Spring 2026. The evaluation is being conducted in collaboration with Trillium Health Partners’ Institute for Better Health under the guidance of Dr. Ibukun-Oluwa Abejirinde.
