An aging population combined with an increase in the prevalence of persons with diabetes/obesity and a shortage of nurses with the knowledge and skills to help prevent and manage wounds across the continuum of care, signals an epidemic.
6.5 MILLION
NUMBER OF AMERICANS AFFECTED WITH CHRONIC WOUNDS
Chronic wounds (including pressure ulcers, diabetic ulcers, and venous insufficiency ulcers) affect around 6.5 million Americans.
257,000
NUMBER OF PREVENTABLE PRESSURE ULCERS REPORTED AS SECONDARY DIAGNOSES
According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), there were over 257,000 preventable pressure ulcers reported as secondary diagnoses in 2007.
65,000
AMPUTATIONS
Foot ulcers in persons with diabetes mellitus are a major healthcare issue leading to 65,000 amputations1 and costing $9-13 billion annually.2
$25,000,000,000
AMOUNT SPENT ANNUALLY
More than $25 billion is spent annually on the treatment of chronic wounds. This spend is on the rise due to an aging population and increases in the prevalence of diabetes and obesity.3
1. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Incidence of diabetic foot ulcer and lower extremity amputation among Medicare beneficiaries, 2006 to 2008. www.ahrq.gov. Accessed December 9, 2014.
2. Rice JB, Desai U, Cummings AK, et al. Burden of diabetic foot ulcers for Medicare and private insurers. Diabetes Care. 2014;37(3):651-8.
3. Sen CK, Gordillo GM, Roy S, et al. Human skin wounds: a major and snowballing threat to public health and the economy. Wound Repair Regen. 2009;17:763-771.