Estimating costs of pressure area management based on a survey of ulcer care in one Irish hospital

Abstract

Objective: Pressure ulceration remains a significant cause of morbidity for patients and has a real economic impact on the health sector. Studies to date have estimated the cost of management but have not always given a breakdown of how these figures were calculated. There are no published studies that have estimated the cost of management of pressure ulcers in Ireland. A two-part study was therefore undertaken. Part one determined the prevalence of pressure ulcers in a 626-bed Irish acute hospital. Part two set out to derive a best estimate of the cost of managing pressure ulcers in Ireland.

Method: The European Pressure UlcerAdvisory Panel (EPUAP) minimum data set tool was used to complete the prevalence survey. Tissue viability nurses trained in the data-collection tool collected the data. A cost was obtained for all items of care for the management of one patient with three grade IV pressure ulcers over a five-month period.

Results: Of the patients, 2.5% had pressure ulcers. It cost Euros 119,000 to successfully treat one patient.

Conclusion: We estimate that it costs Euros 250,000,000 per annum to manage pressure ulcers across all care settings in Ireland.