title: Economic evaluation of pressure ulcer care: a cost minimization analysis of preventive strategies.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the cost for prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers from a hospital perspective and to identify the least resource-intensive pressure ulcer prevention strategy. Cost analyses were examined from a hospital perspective using direct costs. The study was carried out alongside a prospective cohort study on the incidence and risk factors for pressure ulcers. Two large teaching hospitals in the Netherlands with (partly) opposing approaches in prevention, a technological versus a human approach, were analyzed. The main outcome measures were resource use, costs of preventive measures and treatment, and pressure ulcer incidence in both hospitals. Pressure ulcer prevention through a predominantly technical approach resulted in a similar incidence rate as prevention through a predominantly human approach. However, the technical approach was considerably less expensive.
authors.affiliation: St. Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jaap-Peter
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Schuurman
authors.forename: Lisette
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schoonhoven
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Defloor
authors.forename: Ilse
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: van Engelshoven
authors.forename: Bert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: van Ramshorst
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Buskens
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004180:Direct Service Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D017721:Hospital Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000191:economics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D015401:Nursing Administration Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000191:economics; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017592:Skin Care / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing; D016526:Workload / Q000191:economics