OBJECTIVES: NICE CG179 Pressure Ulcers: Prevention and Management (NICE GC179 2014) details individual steps required to screen and prevent pressure ulcers (PU) in patients in the UK, it then identifies the interventions required to manage patients with PUs. However, despite this ~1700-2000 patients develop a PU each year in the UK at a cost of ~£3.5m per day. Healthcare practitioners (HCP) rely on visual and tactile skin assessment which has been reported to be subjective and dependent on the HCP experience level; it is even more challenging in patients with darker skin tone leading to higher PU incidence levels in this cohort of patients.

This abstract represents the results of an economic model – the aim of which is to assess the cost-effectiveness of an innovative skin assessment technology* when used as an adjunct to clinical guidelines (standard of care [SoC] plus technology) compared with the current SoC alone (adapted from NICE CG179, 2014).

METHODS: A decision tree model was developed based on the sensitivity and specificity of the two assessment methods in detecting early signs of pressure damage, and the effect of early detection on PU incidence.

The model is based on a 450 bed acute care facility and includes probabilistic sensitivity analysis. Patient and cost parameters are based on peer reviewed publications:

• 41% patients identified at risk of PU
• Average bed occupancy 83%
• Mean facility length of stay 4.5 days
• 9 beds per device

RESULTS

:

• 43 PU prevented (reduction of 8.6%)
• £354,115 cost saving equates to £28.51 per patient
• Probability Intervention is cost-effective (threshold of £30k per QALY) 96.29%
• Probability Intervention improves QALYs 98.54%
• Probability intervention is cost saving 95.08%

CONCLUSIONS: The modelling analysis demonstrates that the innovative technology is a dominant option which has the potential to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs to the healthcare system.

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