Hybrid Deep Learning Framework for Diabetic Wound Assessment: Integrating Segmentation, Classification, and Explainable AI in Cloud-Based Telemedicine Systems

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are among the most serious complications of diabetes mellitus and frequently lead to infection, hospitalization, and lower-limb amputation. Early and accurate assessment of wound severity is therefore essential for preventing complications and supporting clinical decision-making, particularly in telemedicine settings. This study proposes a hybrid deep learning framework for automated DFU evaluation that integrates image segmentation, ordinal-aware classification, and