title: The cost of treating pressure ulcers following implementation of a research-based skin care protocol in a long-term care facility.
abstract: Although concern for the costs associated with pressure ulcer treatments persists, studies that precisely quantify costs are limited. A retrospective research design was used to describe the costs incurred by an 830-bed, long-term care facility to treat 81 pressure ulcers over a one-year period following implementation of a research-based, skin care protocol. The total cost for the study period was $30,079 with 73% of these expenditures attributable to nursing care. Mean cost of treatment was $3.74/pressure ulcer/day, which was a reduction from the $5.35/pressure ulcer/day cost prior to implementation of the skin care protocol. These findings suggest that implementing a research-based, skin care protocol can promote a reduction in treatment costs.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Frantz
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bergquist
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Specht
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015400:Clinical Nursing Research; D017046:Cost Savings; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012866:Skilled Nursing Facilities; D017592:Skin Care / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods*