Single-use Negative Pressure Wound Therapy- A treatment option for majority of wounds

Background: As providers and payers implement value-based healthcare, methods to reduce cost need to be considered. Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) is used in the treatment of acute or chronic wounds;¹ however, over a treatment duration that may last several weeks, the cost to acquire or rent supplies add up quickly.² Single-use NPWT (sNPWT) is an alternative to traditional NPWT (tNPWT) and has the potential to reduce wound care costs while maintaining comparable clinical outcomes. The purpose of this study was to identify wounds amenable to sNPWT based on wound characteristics.

Methods: The two main distinct data sources used in this study were an automated wound management system and the US Wound Registry (USWR), these independent databases assess quality of care, and evidence based practice and outcomes of chronic wounds and ulcers. Another data source used was obtained from a patient assistance program (PAP). These databases were independently used to identify wounds amendable to sNPWT based on the following inclusion criteria: i) wounds being treated with tNPWT; ii) vascular/pressure ulcers with surface area measurements within the sNPWT system's 8 sizes (maximum surface area= 500cm²) and/or wound volumes less than 300ml; and iii) wounds with less than heavy exudate amounts.

Results: From the automated wound management system, USWR and PAP, 88.3% (1,249), 84.5% (4,897) and 84.5% (758) of unique wounds being treated with NPWT were identified to be amendable to sNPWT respectively. By wound type, 78.3%-84.3% , 84.5%- 90.1% and 91.6%-92.8% of wounds under NPWT treatment amenable to sNPWT were pressure, trauma and vascular respectively.

Conclusion: The identification of wounds being treated with tNPWT that are amendable to a sNPWT may be essential in driving down healthcare costs associated with tNPWT.