Wound management for the 21st century: combining effectiveness and efficiency

Abstract

Treatment of wounds of different aetiologies constitutes a major part of the total health care budget. It is estimated that 1⋅5-2 million people in Europe suffer from acute or chronic wounds. These wounds are managed both in hospitals and in community care. The patients suffering from these wounds report physical, mental and social consequences of their wounds and the care of them. It is often believed that the use of wound dressings per se is the major cost driver in wound management, whereas in fact, nursing time and hospital costs are together responsible for around 80-85% of the total cost. Healing time, frequency of dressing change and complications are three important cost drivers. However, with the use of modern, advanced technology for more rapid wound healing, all these cost drivers can be substantially reduced. A basic understanding of the terminology and principles of Health Economics in relation to wound management might therefore be of interest.

Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy in skin wound healing: A systematic review of animal studies

“…They can have a profound deleterious effect on patient quality of life and are common. For example, it is estimated that, at any given time point, 1.5 to 2 million people in Europe have acute or chronic wounds that require medical care . Moreover, several studies have shown that patients with wounds occupy 27% to 50% of acute hospital beds in Europe on any given day and cost the United Kingdom approximately £5 billion annually in 2012/2013: the latter accounted for 3% of all British health care expenditure in 2012/2013 …”

A change in the prevalence and the etiological factors of chronic wounds in Helsinki metropolitan area during 2008‐2016

“…Chronic wounds cause substantial health care costs and decrease the quality of life . This is partially because of the fact that there is a lack of a diagnostic process in public wound care.…”

Evaluating complications in below‐knee skin cancer surgery after introduction of preoperative appointments: A 2‐year retrospective cohort study

“…Leg oedema is a frequent finding in the elderly population, and the introduction of compression therapy before surgery may be cost‐effective in this regard. The cost of treating complications is usually significantly higher than those of preventive measures, which has been clearly demonstrated in pressure ulcer and wound care studies. Treating complications will cause multiple additional postoperative appointments, increasing treatment costs remarkably.…”