Chronic wounds affect 10.5 million Medicare beneficiaries, according to an article by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. This is up from 2.3 million in 2014, with chronic wounds now affecting nearly 2.5% of the total U.S. population. This underscores the need for specialized wound care, especially as the population ages and cases of diabetes increase, both of which contribute to the growth in chronic wound cases.
“The demand for wound care products is increasing owing to the increasing number of surgical cases and the rising prevalence of chronic diseases across the globe,” notes Grand View Research. “Furthermore, the increasing incidence of diabetes due to a sedentary lifestyle is one of the leading factors contributing to market growth.”
BENEFITS OF HAVING A WOUND CARE SPECIALIST ON STAFF
Non-acute care facilities have options for ensuring their patients or residents have access to a wound care specialist:
- Hire a wound care expert on staff
- Sponsor wound care training for an existing staff member
- Outsource wound care to a third party that visits the facility on a preset schedule
- Refer the patient to a wound care center
Healthcare organizations that elect to hire an in-house wound care specialist can realize myriad advantages. For example, a specialist can potentially provide a faster path to healing by knowing the best approach to treatment, which can save money and improve patient outcomes.
Specialists know the most appropriate type of product to use for each type of wound. This is important because some products need to be left on for a specific amount of time to work correctly, and different types of wounds may require specific treatments. Similarly, specialists understand overall treatment costs and realize that higher short-term expenses may lead to long-term gains.
For example, if providers can heal a wound in three to four weeks using the proper dressings—even if those dressings are more expensive than alternative products—it’s better for the patient and cost containment strategies than requiring six months to heal the wound using less expensive products.
In addition, specialists can assess patient wounds to recommend the most optimal treatment, closely supervise the wound to ensure it’s healing properly and treat complex wounds. The specialized training can also help reduce the risk of complications such as infections, inform patients how to best take care of their wound and dressings between medical visits, and consider a patient’s medical history to customize a treatment plan, if needed.
Another benefit is that wound care specialists understand how to handle the documentation and insurance coding for the facility. This ensures organizations receive timely and accurate reimbursement.
