Major costs associated with pressure sores.
Cost drivers in the treatment of full-thickness pressure sores were identified from the literature, Medicare data tapes and interviews with health-care providers. The following were identified as cost drivers in pressure sore treatment: nursing time related to wound care; nursing time devoted to patient position changes; dressing products; patient support devices; antibiotics; room charges for nursing home care; doctor visits for nursing home and home care patients; surgical debridement for nursing home and home care patients; hospital admissions for medical treatment for pressure sores; admissions for surgical treatment for pressure sores; and additional costs for hospital stays when patients who are admitted for other diagnoses develop sores. These cost drivers may be useful to health-care providers in developing cost-effective strategies for treating and preventing pressure sores.
Center for Health Sciences, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA, USA.
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Javitz
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Ward
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Martens
D001458:Bandages / Q000191:economics; D003646:Debridement / Q000191:economics; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000150:complications / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy; D014481:United States; D016526:Workload / Q000191:economics