CAWC Projects Cost-Savings of Pressure Ulcer Prevention
At its annual conference in November 2006, the Canadian Association of Wound Care (CAWC) projected that a 100-bed health care facility with a pressure ulcer prevalence of 25% (the national average for acute care facilities in Canada) could save between $239,000 and $1.2 million annually by reducing its pressure ulcer prevalence by 35%. The projection was based on the preliminary results of a groundbreaking Pressure Ulcer Awareness Pilot Program (PUAP). In addition, the program demonstrated that increased staff awareness led to early recognition of pressure ulcers and resulted in effective treatment plans.
The PUAP was piloted over a 6-month period at 5 different types of facilities across Canada, including acute care, nonacute care, and mixed health care settings. Key areas that measured the success of the program were awareness, clinical practice, and prevalence. A positive change in awareness was found among participants, an improvement of nearly 50% for patients and their families. The CAWC's goal is to work with health care programs and encourage them to adopt this type of awareness program to benefit both patient and financial outcomes.
[black up pointing small triangle] Information:http:www.cawc.net