Why Wound Care?

The wound care market is in the spotlight, and it is no wonder. The cost of treating wounds is on the rise and is a significant portion of health care expenses. According to a new report by Epicom Business Intelligence, the advanced wound care market has seen double-digit growth over the past five years. As the graying of America continues, it is likely these numbers will increase rather than decrease in the coming decades.

It is clear this trend will have an important impact on the home care market through the introduction of new materials and technologies that will enable patients to achieve the same outcomes that were once only available in the acute care setting.

“Hospitals are trying to get people out of facilities as soon as possible, which drives a decrease in the length of stay and has resulted in people being discharged who are not as healed as they have been in the past,” says Tom Dugan, U.S. president of Smith & Nephew's advanced wound management division. “Home care providers are challenged with more complex wounds, and this has resulted in advanced dressings being used in the home that were traditionally found in the acute care setting.”

The new possibilities allow patients to remain on the same continuum, although in a different environment, adds Dugan. He cites the shift from gauze to foam and the use of antimicrobial products as examples of how protocols are changing.

“This shift allows the dressing to handle more exudate or drainage from the wound, which decreases the need for dressing changes,” he says. “Reducing and preventing infection is a strong trend, and antimicrobial materials such as silver that help manage the bacterial burden in the wound are on the rise.”

Heather Raub Trumm, RN, BSN, CWOCN, The VGM Group's director of wound care and bariatrics, says there are many trends in the wound care market that are worth noting, including:

• A growing number of negative pressure wound therapy companies and products;

• Support surfaces that are tailored to patients, such as those that control microclimate;

• The use of mist ultrasonic therapy;

• An increase in advanced wound care dressings;

• Sequential and gradient intermittent pneumatic compression therapy for mobile patients; and

• Increasing use of nutritional products to enhance wound healing.