Economics of quality ulcer care

Abstract

Venous leg ulcers may affect up to 3.5% of the general patient population. The purchase price for dressing is not the true indication of cost effectiveness of any given method of care; rather cost is a combination of the price of the dressing plus labor required. Total cost equals nursing time, physician time, hospital stay, home-health costs, risks, and costs of complications (for example, infection), and the frequency of dressing changes.