Table 1.

Markov model inputs

Variables	Value	References
Transition probabilitiesa
Usual care
Probability of healing (3-month)	0.2281	[19]
Probability of recurrence (annual)	0.5574	[20]
Probability of hospitalisation (5-year)	0.24	[22]
Optimal care
Probability of healing (3-month)	0.5872	[19]
Probability of recurrence (annual)	0.2222	[5]
Probability of hospitalisation (annual)	0.0116	[21]
VLU Incidence rate (annual)	0.0121	[18]
All-cause mortality rate (annual)	0.0282	Calculated from ABS data [15]
Proportion of unhealed ulcers with infection
Usual care	10%	[24]
Optimal care	5%	[24]
Cost itemsb
GP	AUD 71.70	MBS item 36
Nurse practitioner	AUD 58.55	MBS item 82215
Vascular surgeon	AUD 85.55	MBS item 104
Community nurse hourly wage rate	AUD 24.74–37.05	[31–38]
Ankle-brachial pressure index (ABPI) assessment	AUD 63.74	MBS item 11610
Pathology test	AUD 33.75	MBS item 69306
Compression bandage	AUD 51.5	Retail price
Compression stocking	AUD 97.75	Retail price
Complicated VLU with hospitalisation	AUD 18,331.60	[23]
Quality of life utility score
Healed VLU	0.75	[25]
Unhealed VLU	0.64	[25]
Complicated VLU with hospitalisation	0.54	calculated

^aYearly or monthly probabilities were transformed to fortnightly probabilities by the formula: tp = 1 – (1 - tp_t)^1/t [14]

^bCosts for health states by State and Territories in Australia are presented in Additional file 1 Table S4