The financial burden of chronic wounds in primary care: A real-world data analysis on cost and prevalence
Background: Chronic wounds place a substantial clinical and economic burden on health systems and significantly reduce the quality of life of those affected. However, there are no large-scale economic evaluations to assess costs based on data in a real-world environment. Objective: We aimed to analy...
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Elsevier
2025-06-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666142X25000232 |
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| author | Miguel Ángel Díaz-Herrera Mónica González-Durán Francisco Javier Rodríguez-Martínez Gema Tujillo-Flores Nuria Tuset-Mateu Jose Verdú-Soriano Vicente Gea-Caballero Albert Sanllorente-Melenchón Jesús Almeda-Ortega Oriol Cunillera-Puértolas Mateo Acedo-Anta José Ramón Martínez-Riera |
| author_facet | Miguel Ángel Díaz-Herrera Mónica González-Durán Francisco Javier Rodríguez-Martínez Gema Tujillo-Flores Nuria Tuset-Mateu Jose Verdú-Soriano Vicente Gea-Caballero Albert Sanllorente-Melenchón Jesús Almeda-Ortega Oriol Cunillera-Puértolas Mateo Acedo-Anta José Ramón Martínez-Riera |
| author_sort | Miguel Ángel Díaz-Herrera |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Chronic wounds place a substantial clinical and economic burden on health systems and significantly reduce the quality of life of those affected. However, there are no large-scale economic evaluations to assess costs based on data in a real-world environment. Objective: We aimed to analyse the costs of managing patients with chronic wounds (pressure injuries, ulcers of venous aetiology, ulcers of arterial aetiology, diabetes-related foot ulcers, and lower-limb ulcers of other aetiologies) in primary care in the southern area of Barcelona, Spain, through a 3-year real-world data analysis. Methods: The direct costs associated with specific treatment materials and primary care consultations were analysed using the electronic clinical records and financial management data of 54 primary care centres managed by the Catalan Institute of Health, which served a population ranging from 890,152 in 2015 to 939,747 in 2017. Results: Between 2015 and 2017, total expenditure was estimated at € 34,991,854 (Euros) (USD 39,548,000 -United States Dollars-). The cost of the specific treatment materials was € 8,455,787 (USD 9,555,885), with an annual average of € 2,818,596 (USD 3,185,295) and an increase of 18.5 % over the period. The cost of the consultations for chronic wound management was € 26,536,067 (USD 29,988,409). The cumulative annual prevalence of chronic wounds per 10,000 inhabitants was 86.70‱ in 2015, 88.03‱ in 2016 and 88.7‱ in 2017. Pressure injuries accounted for 46.39 % to 42.86 % of all chronic wounds. The direct extrapolation of chronic wounds costs to the total population of Spain was € 1,763,037,849 (USD 1,993,409,074) (mean annual average € 587,679,283 -USD 664,136,358-) during the study period, with a prevalence of 388,777 and an estimated peak of 413,897 in 2017. Conclusion: We found that chronic wounds have a significant economic impact and should be considered in the planning and management of healthcare resources to ensure adequate and sustainable primary care services. Tweetable abstract: Chronic wounds represent a significant clinical and economic burden in medical devices and consultations, costing 34.99 million euros over three years. Effective planning is essential for the sustainability of primary care services |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2bb9df51b3e547b3b8b5f50b157e6e8c |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2666-142X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
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| series | International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances |
| spelling | doaj-art-2bb9df51b3e547b3b8b5f50b157e6e8c2025-08-20T03:11:14ZengElsevierInternational Journal of Nursing Studies Advances2666-142X2025-06-01810031310.1016/j.ijnsa.2025.100313The financial burden of chronic wounds in primary care: A real-world data analysis on cost and prevalenceMiguel Ángel Díaz-Herrera0Mónica González-Durán1Francisco Javier Rodríguez-Martínez2Gema Tujillo-Flores3Nuria Tuset-Mateu4Jose Verdú-Soriano5Vicente Gea-Caballero6Albert Sanllorente-Melenchón7Jesús Almeda-Ortega8Oriol Cunillera-Puértolas9Mateo Acedo-Anta10José Ramón Martínez-Riera11Unit of Complex Wounds South Metropolitan Primary Care. Catalan Institute of Health. L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; Research group on chronic and complex wounds in primary care (GReFeC), Foundation University Institute for Research in Primary Health Care Jordi Gol i Gurina (IDIAPJGol), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Fundamental and Clinical Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain; Hospital Universitari General de Catalunya, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona, SpainUnit of Complex Wounds South Metropolitan Primary Care. Catalan Institute of Health. L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; Research group on chronic and complex wounds in primary care (GReFeC), Foundation University Institute for Research in Primary Health Care Jordi Gol i Gurina (IDIAPJGol), Barcelona, SpainUnit of Complex Wounds South Metropolitan Primary Care. Catalan Institute of Health. L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; Research group on chronic and complex wounds in primary care (GReFeC), Foundation University Institute for Research in Primary Health Care Jordi Gol i Gurina (IDIAPJGol), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Fundamental and Clinical Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, SpainUnit of Complex Wounds South Metropolitan Primary Care. Catalan Institute of Health. L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; Research group on chronic and complex wounds in primary care (GReFeC), Foundation University Institute for Research in Primary Health Care Jordi Gol i Gurina (IDIAPJGol), Barcelona, SpainUnit of Complex Wounds South Metropolitan Primary Care. Catalan Institute of Health. L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; Research group on chronic and complex wounds in primary care (GReFeC), Foundation University Institute for Research in Primary Health Care Jordi Gol i Gurina (IDIAPJGol), Barcelona, SpainDepartment of Community Nursing, Preventive Medicine and Public Health and History of Science, University of Alicante, San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain; Grupo Winter Heridas: Wounds Innovation, Therapeutics and Research (WINTER HERIDAS), University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain; Corresponding author at: Department of Community Nursing, Preventive Medicine and Public Health and History of Science, University of Alicante, Ap. 99, Campus de San Vicente del Raspeig, s/n, Alicante, Spain.Faculty of Health Science, Valencian International University, Valencia, Spain; Research Group in Community Health and Care (SALCOM), Valencian International University, Valencia, SpainSouth Metropolitan Research Support Unit Foundation University Institute for Research in Primary Health Care Jordi Gol i Gurina (IDIAPJGol), Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain; South Metropolitan Primary Care Directorate, Catalan Institute of Health, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain; Network Biomedical Research Center Consortium (CIBER), M.P. Pathophysiology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBEROBN), Carlos IIIe Health Institute, Madrid, SpainSouth Metropolitan Research Support Unit Foundation University Institute for Research in Primary Health Care Jordi Gol i Gurina (IDIAPJGol), Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain; South Metropolitan Primary Care Directorate, Catalan Institute of Health, Hospitalet de Llobregat, SpainSouth Metropolitan Research Support Unit Foundation University Institute for Research in Primary Health Care Jordi Gol i Gurina (IDIAPJGol), Hospitalet de Llobregat, SpainResearch group on chronic and complex wounds in primary care (GReFeC), Foundation University Institute for Research in Primary Health Care Jordi Gol i Gurina (IDIAPJGol), Barcelona, Spain; Technical Secretariat South Metropolitan Primary Care Directorate, Catalan Institute of Health, Hospitalet de Llobregat, SpainDepartment of Community Nursing, Preventive Medicine and Public Health and History of Science, University of Alicante, San Vicente del Raspeig, SpainBackground: Chronic wounds place a substantial clinical and economic burden on health systems and significantly reduce the quality of life of those affected. However, there are no large-scale economic evaluations to assess costs based on data in a real-world environment. Objective: We aimed to analyse the costs of managing patients with chronic wounds (pressure injuries, ulcers of venous aetiology, ulcers of arterial aetiology, diabetes-related foot ulcers, and lower-limb ulcers of other aetiologies) in primary care in the southern area of Barcelona, Spain, through a 3-year real-world data analysis. Methods: The direct costs associated with specific treatment materials and primary care consultations were analysed using the electronic clinical records and financial management data of 54 primary care centres managed by the Catalan Institute of Health, which served a population ranging from 890,152 in 2015 to 939,747 in 2017. Results: Between 2015 and 2017, total expenditure was estimated at € 34,991,854 (Euros) (USD 39,548,000 -United States Dollars-). The cost of the specific treatment materials was € 8,455,787 (USD 9,555,885), with an annual average of € 2,818,596 (USD 3,185,295) and an increase of 18.5 % over the period. The cost of the consultations for chronic wound management was € 26,536,067 (USD 29,988,409). The cumulative annual prevalence of chronic wounds per 10,000 inhabitants was 86.70‱ in 2015, 88.03‱ in 2016 and 88.7‱ in 2017. Pressure injuries accounted for 46.39 % to 42.86 % of all chronic wounds. The direct extrapolation of chronic wounds costs to the total population of Spain was € 1,763,037,849 (USD 1,993,409,074) (mean annual average € 587,679,283 -USD 664,136,358-) during the study period, with a prevalence of 388,777 and an estimated peak of 413,897 in 2017. Conclusion: We found that chronic wounds have a significant economic impact and should be considered in the planning and management of healthcare resources to ensure adequate and sustainable primary care services. Tweetable abstract: Chronic wounds represent a significant clinical and economic burden in medical devices and consultations, costing 34.99 million euros over three years. Effective planning is essential for the sustainability of primary care serviceshttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666142X25000232Health expendituresDiabetic footLeg ulcerPressure injuriesPrevalencePrimary health care |
| spellingShingle | Miguel Ángel Díaz-Herrera Mónica González-Durán Francisco Javier Rodríguez-Martínez Gema Tujillo-Flores Nuria Tuset-Mateu Jose Verdú-Soriano Vicente Gea-Caballero Albert Sanllorente-Melenchón Jesús Almeda-Ortega Oriol Cunillera-Puértolas Mateo Acedo-Anta José Ramón Martínez-Riera The financial burden of chronic wounds in primary care: A real-world data analysis on cost and prevalence International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances Health expenditures Diabetic foot Leg ulcer Pressure injuries Prevalence Primary health care |
| title | The financial burden of chronic wounds in primary care: A real-world data analysis on cost and prevalence |
| title_full | The financial burden of chronic wounds in primary care: A real-world data analysis on cost and prevalence |
| title_fullStr | The financial burden of chronic wounds in primary care: A real-world data analysis on cost and prevalence |
| title_full_unstemmed | The financial burden of chronic wounds in primary care: A real-world data analysis on cost and prevalence |
| title_short | The financial burden of chronic wounds in primary care: A real-world data analysis on cost and prevalence |
| title_sort | financial burden of chronic wounds in primary care a real world data analysis on cost and prevalence |
| topic | Health expenditures Diabetic foot Leg ulcer Pressure injuries Prevalence Primary health care |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666142X25000232 |
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