Session 1 – Saturday
Patient Engagement and Experience in Therapeutic Footwear: Insights from Pedorthic Practice (40min)
Therapeutic footwear is essential for managing various foot conditions and improving patients’ quality of life. This
presentation delves into patient engagement and experience with therapeutic footwear, leveraging insights from evidence based pedorthic practice. It explores the strategies used by pedorthists to enhance patient adherence and satisfaction, as well as the challenges faced in clinical practice. Key topics include personalised footwear solutions, patient education, and the impact of therapeutic footwear on health outcomes. By examining the perspectives of pedorthic professionals, this
presentation aims to highlight best practices and identify areas for improvement in patient-centred care within the therapeutic footwear field.
Dr Sayed Ahmed
Dr Sayed Ahmed
Clinical Researcher & Pedorthist ||
Foot Balance Technology
Dr Sayed Ahmed, PhD, is a foot healthcare professional, entrepreneur, researcher and accomplished leader in pedorthics and medical device innovation. He holds a PhD in Pedorthics from Southern Cross University, focusing on diabetic foot care and personalised footwear prescriptions.
Dr. Ahmed began his career with a Bachelor of Science and Technology in Footwear from the University of Dhaka and later earned an MBA in Management Information Systems. His professional journey includes significant roles as founder and CEO of Foot Balance Technology and OrthoGenix, where he developed innovative solutions for foot health challenges, particularly for individuals with diabetes.
Dr. Ahmed has secured and managed notable grants, including the "National Industry PhD Program," and collaborated extensively with Australian
universities. His research, widely published, covers topics like footwear design for diabetic foot ulcers and AI-driven medical device prescriptions.
Dr. Ahmed is dedicated to advancing foot health through interdisciplinary collaboration, mentorship, and
innovative research in Pedorthics.
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Future of Foot Care: Mobile Apps in Diabetic Ulcer Management (40min)
With the proliferation of diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) management apps across various app stores and the increasing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare apps, there is a growing need for a comprehensive evaluation system. Current apps lack sufficient evidence-based reliability, prompting the necessity for a systematic assessment. In this talk, we present our findings on evaluating DFU assessment and monitoring apps, identifying their limitations, and outlining opportunities for future app development.
An electronic search across two major app stores (Google Play Store and Apple App Store) was conducted. The search yielded a total of 170 apps related to DFU management. From these, 10 apps were selected for review based on a set of inclusion and exclusion criteria that ensured the relevance and potential effectiveness of the apps. The selected apps were then rated by three independent raters using a modified app rating scale designed specifically for DFU assessment apps. This scale evaluates both the functionality and software quality characteristics of the apps.
The evaluation revealed that most of the apps available in the app stores do not meet the overall requirements for effective DFU monitoring and assessment. Common issues identified included a lack of comprehensive DFU assessment tools, insufficient integration of evidence-based practices, and limited user-friendliness. Many apps also failed to incorporate advanced technologies, such as AI, which have the potential to significantly enhance the accuracy and usability of DFU assessment tools.
Despite these limitations, the study highlights several opportunities for the future development of DFU management apps. By leveraging advanced techniques, particularly those involving AI, developers can create more effective and reliable tools for DFU management. AI can enhance the precision of ulcer measurement, improve the accuracy of tissue type identification, and provide personalized care recommendations based on the analysis of large datasets.
The study underscores the importance of developing robust evaluation frameworks for healthcare apps to ensure they meet the necessary standards of reliability and efficacy. By addressing the current shortcomings and integrating advanced technologies, the next generation of DFU management apps can significantly improve the management and monitoring of diabetic foot ulcers, ultimately enhancing patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs.
In conclusion, while current mobile apps for diabetic foot ulcer assessment and monitoring have notable limitations, they also present significant opportunities for advancement. This talk provides valuable insights for healthcare professionals, including pedorthists, doctors, and nurses, by emphasizing the need for systematic evaluation and the integration of cutting-edge technologies to enhance the effectiveness of these vital healthcare tools.
Dr Ashad Kabir
Dr Ashad Kabir
Associate Professor & Researcher ||
Charles Sturt University
Associate Professor Ashad Kabir is an expert in data analytics and machine learning in health care. His research focuses on applying advanced technologies, including data mining, artificial intelligence, and smartphone sensing, to solve problems in the domain of health and well-being while considering individuals’ privacy and system security. He is the Deputy Leader of the Data Mining Research Group at Charles Sturt University (CSU). He has extensive experience conducting industry-funded multidisciplinary projects with a total budget of over $7.5 million. He successfully led two projects in partnership with healthcare providers with excellent impact and quality publications. He has published over 120 research articles in top-tier venues, including the IEEE Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics, Computers in Biology and Medicine, Front. in Public Health, JMIR mHealth and uHealth, and Cancers journals. He is an editorial board member for several journals, including BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making and the Frontiers in Digital Health. He has delivered keynotes at several conferences and been invited as a guest speaker to deliver talks at several prominent universities across the world, including the University of Maryland (USA), Texas A&M University (USA), the University of Toronto (Canada), and the Auckland University of Technology (New Zealand). Dr Kabir is the recipient of the 2023 Vice Chancellor Research Excellence Award - "Researcher Excellence through Partnership", 2022 Vice Chancellor Research Excellence Award - "Researcher of the Year in the Faculty" and the 2021 Charles Sturt Faculty Research Excellence Award in recognition of his research publications, leadership, impact, significance, and entrepreneurial spirit.
Session/s
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