title: Improved wound management at lower cost: a sensible goal for Australia.
abstract: Chronic wounds cost the Australian health system at least US$2·85 billion per year. Wound care services in Australia involve a complex mix of treatment options, health care sectors and funding mechanisms. It is clear that implementation of evidence-based wound care coincides with large health improvements and cost savings, yet the majority of Australians with chronic wounds do not receive evidence-based treatment. High initial treatment costs, inadequate reimbursement, poor financial incentives to invest in optimal care and limitations in clinical skills are major barriers to the adoption of evidence-based wound care. Enhanced education and appropriate financial incentives in primary care will improve uptake of evidence-based practice. Secondary-level wound specialty clinics to fill referral gaps in the community, boosted by appropriate credentialing, will improve access to specialist care. In order to secure funding for better services in a competitive environment, evidence of cost-effectiveness is required. Future effort to generate evidence on the cost-effectiveness of wound management interventions should provide evidence that decision makers find easy to interpret. If this happens, and it will require a large effort of health services research, it could be used to inform future policy and decision-making activities, reduce health care costs and improve patient outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia.|Wound Management Innovation Cooperative Research Centre, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Rosana E
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9742-1957
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Norman
authors.affiliation: Wound Management Innovation Cooperative Research Centre, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gibb
authors.affiliation: Wound Management Innovation Cooperative Research Centre, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dyer
authors.affiliation: Wounds West/Wound Healing Institute Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Prentice
authors.affiliation: Bundall Medical Centre, Bundall, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yelland
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Qinglu
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Allied Health Research Collaborative, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Queensland Health, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.|School of Clinical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Lazzarini
authors.affiliation: Silver Chain Group, Perth, WA, Australia.|School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Keryln
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Carville
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Innes-Walker
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Finlayson
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia.|Wound Management Innovation Cooperative Research Centre, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Burn
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Graves
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D017046:Cost Savings; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D011320:Primary Health Care; D014945:Wound Healing
keywords: Australia; Chronic wounds; Cost-effectiveness analysis; Leg ulcer; Wound management