The 21st Century has brought some interesting dynamics into the ‘world of wound care’. We face some of the issues independently and others globally. For example, we all live with budgetary constraints in this ever‐increasing cash limited health care expenditure environment. We are all getting older and fortunately living longer – but this strains our resources – unless we all agree to pay significantly more taxes – which to be honest, living in Canada where we already pay 50% income tax does not seem like a good option to me.
So how do the budgetary constraints of today affect all the players in the field of wound care? – Probably more than you realise.
Payers are challenged by ever‐increasing costs, resulting in decisions that are financially based rather than clinically based – not a good situation for health provision!
Manufacturers are challenged by price constraints and ever‐increasing demands for evidence‐based data, the demands of competition (e.g. silver revolution – the United States of America has around 17 ‘different’ products in this category) and the balance of profitability (demands of the shareholders) with the need for innovation – not a good situation for health provision!
The range and number of treatments available to health care providers is ever increasing, but often such expansion brings confusion through too many choices and product claims, which are not always founded, generally driven by the highly competitive marketplace that manufacturers find themselves participating in – not a good situation for health provision!
But not all changes are negative!
Across the world, government‐funded health care systems (e.g. the National Health Service in the United Kingdom) are changing, with many considering the contracting out of non essential services like wound care – this should benefit patients by providing a better standard and more equitable access to care.
Companies that manufacture wound care products are looking at alternative product offerings to further advance the care of persons with wounds. One such area is diagnosis. The diagnosis of wounds today relies on a combination of clinical experience and some laboratory‐based diagnostic tests. Major advancements can be made in this area with easy‐to‐use point of care diagnostics, similar to the home pregnancy test kit. This will essentially de skill the diagnosis and greatly reduce the waiting time for results – this should benefit patients by providing a better service of care!
Some manufacturers are actively researching more active therapies that affect the healing process, bringing a more pharmacological approach to care persons with wounds– this should benefit patients by providing a better service of care!
The coming years will bring some significant changes to the wound care arena; while some of the existing impactors are influencing the arena negatively, some of the emerging trends, however, should bring positive change in this important clinical area. The future is exciting – the future is you!