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Model-Based Financial Consequences of Electrical Stimulation Therapy for Pressure Injury Healing.
Yoshiyuki Yoshikawa1,2, Koji Ikeda1, Mikiko Uemura2,3
1Department of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences, Naragakuen University, Nara 631-8524, Japan.
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)
|May 27, 2026
Summary
Electrical stimulation (ES) may be cost-effective for treating pressure injuries (PIs). This therapy accelerates healing, potentially offsetting implementation costs and reducing overall patient care duration.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Health Economics
- Wound Care
Background:
- Electrical stimulation (ES) is a recommended adjunctive therapy for pressure injuries (PIs).
- Estimating the facility-level budget impact of ES, including delivery costs, is crucial for adoption.
- Implementation-relevant data on cost-effectiveness is needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the budget impact of ES as an adjunctive therapy for PIs from a provider perspective in Japan.
- To assess the cost-effectiveness of ES by analyzing healing times and associated costs.
- To provide implementation-relevant financial estimates for healthcare facilities.
Main Methods:
- A model-based financial consequence analysis was performed using data from a 14-day randomized double-blind crossover trial (n=12).
- Time to heal under placebo (T_placebo) was imputed from published data, and time to heal under ES (T_ES) was estimated using a healing acceleration parameter (r).
- Days saved were valued using a monetary proxy (JPY 4000/day), and ES implementation costs (device, consumables, staff time) were included. Uncertainty was assessed via bootstrap resampling.
Main Results:
- The primary crossover effect showed a healing acceleration of Δ = 0.128 cm²/day with ES (p=0.008), and the healing acceleration parameter r was 3.52.
- Mean T_placebo was 177.3 days, and mean T_ES was 50.4 days, resulting in 126.9 days saved per case.
- The net financial impact was estimated to be JPY 459,929 per case (cost offsetting), with a 95% uncertainty interval of JPY 158,459–640,086.
Conclusions:
- Under modeled assumptions, ES may be cost-offsetting for pressure injuries when healing-related care is valued using a monetary proxy.
- The study highlights the potential economic benefits of incorporating ES into PI treatment protocols.
- Prospective studies are warranted to directly measure healing times and resource utilization for definitive conclusions.
