Some Facts on Wound Care
Evidence suggests that wound care, already a key issue for healthcare providers, will become even more important for healthcare systems in Europe as the population ages, because the prevalence of certain chronic wounds is highly correlated with age. In the years to 2025, the population of the EU (27 Member States) aged 65 and above is expected to increase by 25.5m (13%), compared with an increase of just 1% in the population as a whole.
In a report commissioned by the Smith and Nephew Foundation, skin breakdown and wounds in the UK were described as the ‘silent epidemic’. Up to £3.1 billion, 3% of the NHS budget, is spent on wound care management.
The Eucomed Wound Care Policy Paper from the European Wound Management Association (EWMA) notes however that the quality of wound care varies markedly across, and in some cases within, Member States. The standard and quality of wound care varies according to the local budgetary constraints, which have an adverse impact on the quality of patient care and result in added burden to the healthcare system. The report considers the following statistics:
- The population prevalence of wounds is 3-4/1000 people, which equates to between 1.5-2.0 million of the 491 million inhabitants of the EU-27 with an annual incidence of 4 million individuals.
- Between 25-50% of acute hospital beds are occupied by patients with a wound, many of which were developed during hospitalisation.
- Surgical wound infection is estimated to affect between 30-40 surgical patients per 1000 operations, and its effects can be life-threatening, particularly in older patients.
Piribo, an online business intelligence company for the biotech and pharmaceutical industry, have published a new report, called “The Top 40 Manufacturers Of Wound Care Products In Europe”, analysing the wound care market in Europe. It estimates that the global wound care market is worth $14 billion and is growing at 7% per year. The report notes that the market is influenced by the general increase in life expectancy and the development of new and improved products.
TWO Medical aims to bring technological advancement to the treatment of wounds, reducing the costs to healthcare providers and making life better for patients.
