Reduced Clinical and Economic Burden Through Evidence-Based Dressing Selection for Wound Management: Findings From a...

The growing burden of wounds is placing pressure on clinicians and healthcare providers globally. This study aimed to determine the impact of using a hydrocellular polyurethane foam dressing (HPFD) on weekly dressing changes in mixed aetiology wounds. A systematic literature review was performed to identify studies reporting HPFD use versus other/previous dressings via PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library. A total of four studies were found reporting the use of HPFD in comparison to other dressings (386 patients), with 3 of these studies specifically providing data for HPFD use versus other (non-HPFD) foam dressings (136 patients). Meta-analysis revealed mean differences of -1.66 [95% CI -1.87;-1.48] and -1.23 [95% CI -1.65;-0.83] dressing changes per week in favour of HPFD versus other dressings and other foam dressings, respectively. A cost calculator model assessed the economic impact of this reduction of dressing change frequency from US and UK payer perspectives and found a 41% and 36% relative reduction in dressing change-related costs in hospital/clinic and community settings for both perspectives. These findings were stable under sensitivity analyses, which identified clinical time as being the predominant driver of costs in all settings. These findings highlight the importance of appropriate evidence-based dressing selection in enabling the extension of dressing wear times.