Along with many other therapeutic areas, it is likely that wound care is going to have to change. But what are the factors that will dictate change over the coming years?
Money - On the one hand, budgets are being squeezed and clinicians are being encouraged to spend less on dressings and devices. To address this, many companies are developing sophisticated arguments to justify the cost of their products. The justification for this is strong. Wound Care has been overlooked by payers in healthcare for a very long time, and the costs of treating pressure ulcers and infected wounds, once they occur, are considerable.
The human lifespan - we live longer, so, unfortunately, we are ill for longer when we get old. Skin and tissue breakdown are the inevitable results. Coupled with this, many of us are overweight, or smoke, or drink too much, or are otherwise compromised, and are living with conditions, such as diabetes, which, although treatable, influence the development of long term chronic wounds.
Medical and commercial innovation - as the wound healing community develops, medical skill and medical innovation improves. New ways of treating wounds become the norm, and new devices get taken up and transform daily practice. There have been quite a few these past twenty years.
Patient demand and empowerment - all of us are getting access to more information over the internet, and we demand, and expect, information of sufficient quality to help us make informed decisions about our own treatment. Many stakeholders in wound care are starting to respect this and see it is their responsibility to help provide this information. Along with information, patients will be demanding a higher quality of care, of treatment and support.
For an overview of the morbidity and epidemiology of chronic wounds, look at "Skin Breakdown - the silent epidemic". To find out how charities, volunteers, trusts and industry can work together, check out the Lindsay Leg Club, of which Roland is a trustee
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