Cost Savings by Combining Advanced Moisture Management Foam Dressings and Total Contact Casts

Background: Offloading diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) with a total contact cast (TCC) is the established standard of care for fast wound healing times. When patients with DFUs have copious wound exudate, leaving the TCC in place for one week can result in maceration of the wound and peri-wound, drainage onto the cast, and odor from the drainage. This results in increased frequency of TCC replacement, delayed wound healing, and additional costs to both the patient and care provider.

Objective: The purpose of this case study is to compare costs with and without the utilization of advanced moisture management foam dressings used under a TCC.

Methods: A total of 4 patients with highly exudating wounds being treated for DFUs were included in the analysis. The treatment cost when using a less expensive, traditional foam requiring twice weekly cast changes was $903.72 to the care provider (per week).

Results: By replacing the traditional foam with a more expensive advanced moisture management foam dressing, the TCC could be safely left in place for a week resulting in a dramatic total cost savings of $447.08, or about fifty percent. Management of DFUs with TCC is extremely effective, but can be time consuming and expensive. Use of advanced moisture management foam dressings for patients with copious wound exudate should be considered when applying TCC to increase wear time, thus resulting in considerable cost savings. When several patients treated with TCC are evaluated, the cost savings to the wound care center is quite significant.

Conclusion: Implementation of cost saving measures is more critical than ever in a competitive wound and health care environment to remain financially viable and fiscally responsible.