{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,5]],"date-time":"2026-06-05T10:11:37Z","timestamp":1780654297728,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,5]],"date-time":"2026-06-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1780617600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Bioengineering"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Remote postoperative wound assessment may help improve follow-up after laparoscopic surgery in resource-limited settings. This study evaluated the feasibility and patient satisfaction of smartphone-based postoperative wound assessment following general and bariatric laparoscopic surgery. We conducted a prospective cohort study from June 2022 to June 2023 at a public sector teaching hospital. Consecutive adult patients undergoing elective laparoscopic general or bariatric procedures were invited to participate. Consenting patients submitted wound photographs and clinical queries to their surgeon within 14 days of discharge using an encrypted messaging platform. The primary outcome was patient satisfaction measured using the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire Short Form (PSQ-18). Secondary outcomes included the proportion of patients requiring escalation to in-person review and the type of remote intervention provided. A total of 113 patients were enrolled. Of these, 21 (18.6%) required escalation to in-person review. Among the 92 patients managed remotely, 52 (46.0%) received reassurance only and 40 (35.4%) required medication prescription or adjustment. The mean PSQ-18 score for the cohort was 79.66 \u00b1 11.24 (range 18\u201390). Satisfaction was comparable across procedure types. Smartphone-based postoperative wound assessment appears feasible and acceptable in this setting, with most postoperative concerns managed remotely and favourable patient satisfaction. Further controlled studies are needed to assess safety, diagnostic accuracy, and cost-effectiveness.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/bioengineering13060663","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,5]],"date-time":"2026-06-05T08:43:04Z","timestamp":1780648984000},"page":"663","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Smartphone-Based Postoperative Wound Assessment Following Laparoscopic Surgery in a Resource-Limited Setting: A Prospective Cohort Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Marryam Riaz","family":"Farooqui","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Transplant and Renal Surgery, Guy\u2019s & St. Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, London SE1 9RT, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hamza Waqar","family":"Bhatti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London W12 OHS, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Muhammad Umar","family":"Javed","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"General Surgery, Surgical Unit-II, Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Rawalpindi 46000, Pakistan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Aurangzeb","family":"Khan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"General Surgery, Surgical Unit-II, Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Rawalpindi 46000, Pakistan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Muhammad","family":"Hanif","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"General Surgery, Surgical Unit-II, Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Rawalpindi 46000, Pakistan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"857","article-title":"The burden of health care utilization, cost, and mortality associated with select surgical site infections","volume":"50","author":"Shambhu","year":"2024","journal-title":"Jt. Comm. J. Q. Patient Saf."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Zewdu, S., Daniel, A., Abebe, A., Abraham, Z., Elias, H., and Belete, A. (2025). The burden of surgical site infection and associated factors among patients admitted to the surgical ward in resource-limited countries: An institutional-based cross-sectional study. Front. Surg., 12.","DOI":"10.3389\/fsurg.2025.1571033"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"261","DOI":"10.1111\/iwj.13526","article-title":"The impact of surgical site infection on hospitalisation, treatment costs, and health-related quality of life after vascular surgery","volume":"18","author":"Totty","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int. Wound J."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.sopen.2022.10.004","article-title":"Incidence and impact of surgical site infections on length of stay and cost of care for patients undergoing open procedures","volume":"11","author":"Hou","year":"2023","journal-title":"Surg. Open Sci."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"375","DOI":"10.1007\/s10754-024-09369-0","article-title":"Analyzing the 20-year declining trend of hospital length-of-stay in European countries with different healthcare systems and reimbursement models","volume":"24","author":"Golinelli","year":"2024","journal-title":"Int. J. Health Econ. Manag."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"121","DOI":"10.1038\/s41746-024-01419-8","article-title":"Multimodal machine learning to predict surgical site infection with healthcare workload impact assessment","volume":"8","author":"McLean","year":"2025","journal-title":"NPJ Digit. Med."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"108","DOI":"10.1038\/s41746-022-00655-0","article-title":"Diagnostic accuracy of telemedicine for detection of surgical site infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"5","author":"Lathan","year":"2022","journal-title":"NPJ Digit. Med."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e43258","DOI":"10.2196\/43258","article-title":"A nurse-led care delivery app and telehealth system for patients requiring wound care: Mixed methods implementation and evaluation study","volume":"7","author":"Lessios","year":"2023","journal-title":"JMIR Form. Res."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"70","DOI":"10.5604\/01.3001.0015.7657","article-title":"Smartphone photography for smart assessment of post-surgical wounds\u2013an experience during the COVID-19 pandemic","volume":"94","author":"Salati","year":"2022","journal-title":"Pol. J. Surg."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"544","DOI":"10.1097\/01.ASW.0000855740.66588.17","article-title":"Description and utilization of telewound monitoring services in primary care patients with acute wounds in Singapore: A retrospective study","volume":"35","author":"Zhu","year":"2022","journal-title":"Adv. Ski. Wound Care"},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e5076","DOI":"10.1097\/GOX.0000000000005076","article-title":"Telemonitoring wound recovery with smartphone: An Italian experience during pandemic period","volume":"11","author":"Gesuete","year":"2023","journal-title":"Plast. Reconstr. Surg. Glob. Open"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e087320","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2024-087320","article-title":"Exploratory study of patients\u2019 and carers\u2019 preferences for postdischarge surgical wound monitoring using survey and interviews","volume":"15","author":"Tanner","year":"2025","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"El-Hadi, H., Chan, B.L., Siu, B.W., Ko, I.C., Leung, D.K., Teoh, J.Y., Chiu, P.K., Ng, C.F., and Liu, A.Q. (2025). A Systematic Review of Smartphone Applications That Address Patient Care in the Peri-Operative Period. Healthcare, 13.","DOI":"10.3390\/healthcare13212775"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Rochon, M., Tanner, J., Jurkiewicz, J., Beckhelling, J., Aondoakaa, A., Wilson, K., Dhoonmoon, L., Underwood, M., Mason, L., and Harris, R. (2024). Wound imaging software and digital platform to assist review of surgical wounds using patient smartphones: The development and evaluation of artificial intelligence (WISDOM AI study). PLoS ONE, 19.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0315384"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Craus-Miguel, A., Munar, M., Moy\u00e0-Alcover, G., Contreras-Nogales, A.M., Gonz\u00e1lez-Hidalgo, M., and Segura-Sampedro, J.J. (2024). Enhancing surgical wound monitoring: A paired cohort study evaluating a new AI-based application for automatic detection of potential infections. J. Clin. Med., 13.","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm13247863"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Craus-Miguel, A., Fern\u00e1ndez-Moreno, A., Pablo-Leis, A.I., Romero-Hern\u00e1ndez, M., Munar, M., Moy\u00e0-Alcover, G., Gonz\u00e1lez-Hidalgo, M., and Segura-Sampedro, J.J. (2025). Multicenter Study Protocol: Research on Evaluation and Detection of Surgical Wound Complications with AI-Based Recognition (REDSCAR-Trial). J. Clin. Med., 14.","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm14072210"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"94","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jtv.2023.01.001","article-title":"Remote assessment of surgical site infection (SSI) using patient-taken wound images: Development and evaluation of a method for research and routine practice","volume":"32","author":"Macefield","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Tissue Viability"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"394","DOI":"10.1097\/01.ASW.0000821916.26355.fa","article-title":"Outcomes of telehealth for wound care: A scoping review","volume":"35","author":"Kostovich","year":"2022","journal-title":"Adv. Ski. Wound Care"},{"key":"ref_19","unstructured":"Marshall, G.N., and Hays, R.D. (1994). The Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire Short-Form (PSQ-18), Rand."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"52","DOI":"10.1097\/01.JAA.0000531052.82007.42","article-title":"Update on surgical site infections: The new CDC guidelines","volume":"31","author":"Borchardt","year":"2018","journal-title":"JAAPA"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"160","DOI":"10.1038\/s41746-021-00526-0","article-title":"Remote diagnosis of surgical-site infection using a mobile digital intervention: A randomised controlled trial in emergency surgery patients","volume":"4","author":"McLean","year":"2021","journal-title":"NPJ Digit Med."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"85","DOI":"10.1038\/s41746-023-00824-9","article-title":"Evaluation of remote digital postoperative wound monitoring in routine surgical practice","volume":"6","author":"McLean","year":"2023","journal-title":"NPJ Digit. Med."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e52206","DOI":"10.2196\/52206","article-title":"Use and Application of mHealth Technologies in Perioperative Surgical Care: Narrative Review","volume":"13","author":"Sierra","year":"2025","journal-title":"JMIR mHealth uHealth"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e77685","DOI":"10.2196\/77685","article-title":"Linking Patient-Reported and Clinician-Assessed Wound Status via Chatbot-Based Digital Surveillance for Wound Infection: Retrospective Observational Study","volume":"10","author":"Su","year":"2026","journal-title":"JMIR Form. Res."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"20552076251379778","DOI":"10.1177\/20552076251379778","article-title":"Using a mobile app for postoperative wound care at home during the COVID-19 pandemic: A usability and acceptability study","volume":"11","author":"Chen","year":"2025","journal-title":"Digit. Health"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Blytt, K.M., Kolltveit, B.C.H., Graue, M., Robberstad, M., Ternowitz, T., Carlsen, S., and Iversen, M.M. (2024). The implementation of telemedicine in wound care: A qualitative study of nurses\u2019 and patients\u2019 experiences. BMC Health Serv. Res., 24.","DOI":"10.1186\/s12913-024-11620-w"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jtv.2024.01.001","article-title":"Monitoring negative pressure wound therapy for diabetic foot ulcers using WhatsApp","volume":"33","author":"Yammine","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Tissue Viability"},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"19","DOI":"10.21037\/mhealth.2019.11.01","article-title":"WhatsApp in mHealth: An overview on the potentialities and the opportunities in medical imaging","volume":"6","author":"Giansanti","year":"2020","journal-title":"Mhealth"},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e1331","DOI":"10.1097\/SLA.0000000000005506","article-title":"Use of Telemedicine for Postdischarge Assessment of the Surgical Wound: International Cohort Study, and Systematic Review with Meta-analysis","volume":"277","author":"Glasbey","year":"2023","journal-title":"Ann. Surg."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e067663","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj-2021-067663","article-title":"Medical photography using mobile devices","volume":"378","author":"Zoltie","year":"2022","journal-title":"BMJ"}],"container-title":["Bioengineering"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2306-5354\/13\/6\/663\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,5]],"date-time":"2026-06-05T09:52:48Z","timestamp":1780653168000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2306-5354\/13\/6\/663"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,5]]},"references-count":30,"journal-issue":{"issue":"6","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6]]}},"alternative-id":["bioengineering13060663"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/bioengineering13060663","relation":{},"ISSN":["2306-5354"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2306-5354","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,5]]}}}