New app launched to help healthcare professionals better assess and treat burn scars

The first digital scar assessment app, which uses photographs to assess the healing of scars, has been launched for clinicians and therapists working with burns patients worldwide.

Senior Occupational Therapist with the Adult Burn Service at the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) in Australia Tanja Klotz said the ClinMAPS PRO app will be used for patients and in research to accurately assess the severity of burn scars. The app is available for purchase from the Apple app store.

“The app uses photos of a patient’s burns scar and compares it with photos of others, to give a score indicating how active the scar is,” Tanja told MobiHealthNews.

“As the scar progresses, the score will either increase if the scar becomes worse or decrease as it reduces in activity, providing the clinician and the patient with an indicator of scar development and effectiveness of previous treatments used on the original wound.

“Other scar rating scales use numbers or words to describe what the scar looks like, but since every scar is quite unique, photos provide a much better comparison. The app also creates a pre-formatted report that the clinician can email or print, and also includes a patient-centred questionnaire, allowing them to give their own feedback.”

The app is based on the reference book called Matching Assessment using Photographs with Scars (MAPS), which was developed in 2005 by Margot Masters and Margaret McMahon, therapists working with burns patients at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

While the hardcopy has been sold by the hospital, the launch of the app aims to make the information available to healthcare professionals around the world, in turn benefitting clients globally.

AusHealth, a private company that commercialises medical research in South Australia, funded the app’s development.

Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of AusHealth Greg Johansen commented: “The app will include improved and updated photos superior to the original reference book that was used, further assisting researchers who examine the effects of different treatments.

“ClinMAPS is a great example of the outstanding talent we have in developing digital healthcare here in South Australia and we believe it will be a great asset to help all serious burns patients and their clinicians identify appropriate treatments for healing.”