Artificial Intelligence–Enhanced Wound Care to Improve Access, Efficacy, and Equity in Wound Care for Older Adults in Rural and Remote Regions of Canada
Summary: This 2026 viewpoint paper by Courtney Genge and colleagues advocates for wider adoption of AI-enhanced digital wound care technology (DWCT) to address inequities in wound management for older adults in rural and remote Canadian regions. Drawing on literature and real-world implementations in Ontario community health systems (including an Indigenous-led service), the authors highlight how AI tools improve wound measurement accuracy, tissue classification, healing trajectory prediction, and multidisciplinary communication. Benefits observed include reduced specialist travel (over 1000 km saved in one year), faster healing in high-risk cases, fewer emergency visits, and better patient engagement. The technology helps overcome workforce shortages, geographic barriers, and assessment variability, promoting timely interventions and supporting aging-in-place. Calls for broader implementation and policy support to scale equitable wound care.
Key Highlights:
- AI improves accuracy of wound assessment and reduces subjectivity
- Significant time and travel savings in rural/remote settings
- Enhanced equity and outcomes for older adults with chronic wounds
- Authors: Courtney Genge, Basnama Ayaz, Shannon Freeman, Heba Tallah Mohammed et al.
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Keywords: AI wound care, digital wound technology, rural wound care, Courtney Genge