OneMed, a Swedish leader in medical supplies and part of the Asker Group, partnered with Merixstudio to create a mobile solution aimed at transforming wound care.
The OneWound application is a mobile tool designed to assist nurses in accurately assessing and treating hard-to-heal wounds. It combines AI-driven wound analysis, intuitive communication with medical experts, and comprehensive treatment planning to improve patient outcomes and streamline wound care processes.
Wound care is burdened by the excessive use of antibiotics, with nearly 50% of wounds being unnecessarily treated as infected, despite only 4% actually requiring such medication. This mismanagement contributes to the growing issue of antimicrobial resistance - a major global health threat - while also wasting resources and delaying effective care.
In Sweden alone, the healthcare system spends $76 million annually on unnecessary treatments, with over 18,000 cases of incorrect wound care. Nurses, who are often undertrained in managing hard-to-heal wounds and pressed for time with numerous daily patient visits, face significant challenges in providing optimal care.
Recognizing the critical need for a better solution, OneMed envisioned a tool to bridge the gap between nurses and wound care experts, facilitating accurate wound assessment and effective treatment.
The key challenges were:
OneMed approached us through Vertical Strategy, a consulting partner, to bring their vision to life. The objective was to create a mobile application, OneWound, that connects nurses with medical experts for precise wound classification and treatment. While the client provided a Proof of Concept (PoC) and an initial machine learning component, Merixstudio took on the task of developing the entire codebase from scratch and delivering a fully operational app.
Our full-stack team, comprising mobile, backend, and frontend developers, QA testers, product designers, and a project manager, ensured seamless collaboration and timely delivery.
We began with product design workshops to understand the needs of diverse users, including nurses - many of whom were older or from various nationalities - and doctors with distinct workflows. This diversity shaped both the app’s functionalities and its compatibility with a wide range of devices, including low-end phones.
To address these requirements, we prioritized a high-quality, intuitive design that would be accessible to all user groups. Our collaboration extended beyond the MVP phase, with the client returning after user testing to refine the design and further optimize the experience based on feedback.
To enhance accessibility, we also ensured that the app supports multiple languages, making it usable across Scandinavian markets.
“Merixstudio has been committed to delivering a full product for us, going to lengths to make sure that we had a finished product to go to market with (...) We’ve only received positive feedback so far. It feels like a solid app that was professionally made."
At the core of the app is a chat feature enabling multi-channel communication between nurses and wound experts. Managing the communication flow for threads involving multiple participants was a critical challenge.
Due to the specific requirements of the project, we implemented a custom chat system based on WebSocket for seamless real-time communication. For push notifications, we utilized Google Firebase.
Additionally, anonymizing patient data was essential to comply with stringent healthcare data regulations, including HIPAA. The application underwent an external security audit, with all recommendations implemented to meet medical data standards. Moreover, the app received a CE Mark, confirming its compliance with health, safety, and environmental protection regulations within the European Economic Area.
To address project requirements, we integrated a machine learning module that assists nurses in identifying wound infections. This AI-driven functionality analyzes images and suggests whether a wound might be infected or inflamed.
The app also includes a manual classification feature with a "Tinder-like" swipe mechanism for intuitive assessment. Feedback from experts on wound conditions further enriches the AI model, improving its accuracy over time.
We also built the web version of the app that expands the capabilities of the mobile one by adding analytical functionalities. It provides statistics and data visualizations to monitor wound care patients across units, municipalities, or regions, tracking their healing progress. Additionally, the web app enables efficient user, role, and access management, as well as convenient data input.
To meet strict deadlines and fixed budget constraints, we used React Native for cross-platform mobile development, enabling cost and time effective delivery for both iOS and Android. Trusted technologies, including Redux & React for the frontend and Python & Django for the backend, ensured robust performance and scalability.
For the web interface, we utilized the Devias UI toolkit, allowing us to quickly deliver essential views without the need for full custom web development.
We also optimized the production cycle by writing part of the automated tests directly in Python. The QA process included manual, API, and unit testing to ensure the app’s reliability and performance.
Enables nurses to consult with wound care experts using images and detailed wound information.
Allows preparation of personalized treatment plans, documentation of medical history, and monitoring of the healing process.
A CMS for educational materials and video tutorials to support learning and training.
An AI-driven component that analyzes wounds and suggests whether they are infected or inflamed.
Provides statistics and data visualizations to monitor wound care patients across units, municipalities, or regions, tracking their healing progress.
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