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| |  Dramatic Cuts In Medical Costs With Wound Care Team Treatment ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., Nov. 12, 1996 -- A cross-functional wound care team, using standardized protocol to identify at-risk patients and provide aggressive intervention can decrease morbidity and significantly reduce health care costs. An outcomes study to be presented in an instructional course at the 65th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (ASPRS), shows that the number of patients with ulcers and the number of nosocomial ulcers, those developed during hospitalization, were significantly reduced. "With treatment by the wound care team, fewer patients develop nosocomial ulcers, and that enhances quality of care for our patients," said Mark S. Granick, MD, chief of plastic surgery and author of the study. "In addition, the standardized treatment is more cost-effective and beneficial for our hospital." Patients treated in the hospital from 1993 to 1996 were examined for skin integrity and patients with wounds received a complete assessment of the clinical status of each wound. Standardized care included continuous assessment of wound status and collection of data. In 1993, 37 of 164 hospital patients had 57 pressure ulcers, a prevalence of 22.6 percent, 82.4 percent of which were nosocomial. By 1996, only 16 of 184 patients had 30 pressure ulcers, a prevalence of only 8.7 percent. Only 43.3 were nosocomial ulcers. Projected reduction in health care costs are equally dramatic. A recent estimate sets the hospital and physician cost of pressure ulcers per patient at $230,575. Based on a reduction of 21 in patients with pressure ulcers, the hospital may have realized a cost savings that could be estimated at more than $4.85 million during that four-year period. The wound care team, led by plastic surgeons, includes members from nursing, nursing education, nutrition, interostomal therapy, pharmacy, rehabilitation, materials management and others. Recognized throughout the hospital as the physician wound care experts, the team is routinely consulted for almost all patients with any type of wound. The American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons represents 97 percent of all physicians certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS). Its mission is to promote the highest quality care for plastic surgery patients through ongoing physician education, medical research and the advancement of the highest medical professional standards. Consumers may call the Plastic Surgery Information Line 800-635-0635 or access the ASPRS web site at http://www.plasticsurgery.org for informational brochures and the names of qualified plastic surgeons in their areas.
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