5 Vulnerabilities In Today's Wound Care Paradigm

For many providers, the turbo-charged demand for wound care has the potential to expose some of the health care industry’s vulnerabilities in wound care

PHILADELPHIA, PA, UNITED STATES, April 23, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The global wound care market will experience unprecedented growth over the next 7 years, according to Fortune Business Insights. They say, “The global wound care market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 6.3%, from about US$20 billion in 2023 to US$30 billion by 2030.” https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/wound-care-market-103268). Other experts attribute the dynamic growth projection to post-pandemic pent-up demand, longevity enlarging the senior population and increasing obesity and diabetes worldwide, among other factors (https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/wound.2023.0150).

According to wound care thought leader, David Navazio, President & CEO of Gentell, "For many wound care providers, such as hospitals and nursing homes, this turbo-charged demand has the potential to create challenges by exposing some of the health care industry’s wound care vulnerabilities. Shortages in qualified personnel and supply chain issues, among other factors, can increase risk and liability, in our industry, resulting from reduced quality levels of patient care.”

Navazio has identified five key vulnerabilities the wound care industry is facing. He believes these must be addressed to maintain high standards in the face of this new environment. They include:

1) Inefficiencies in distribution.
Navazio observes that in the wound care industry, the distribution chain goes from manufacturers through distributors to providers. Evolving this process to an integrated vertical distribution system will eliminate a number of steps which have become hurdles that slow or impede the flow of wound products to patients. Navazio says, “Wounds can’t wait for a late or absent UPS or FEDEX driver.”

2) Re-concepting the idea of who is the “end-user”.
When Amazon delivers, it delivers a customized order direct to the customer. Our industry needs to re-concept our idea of what or who is an end-user, switching from provider to patient. The current mass approach to wound product delivery, where cases of product are delivered to providers and then picked and parceled out to each patient, is inefficient with a great propensity for errors and delays. Wound care in the future needs to become patient-focused where manufacturers deliver a customized daily treatment bundle, direct to each patient.

3) Disconnected wound care data.
In many facilities today, data is kept the old-fashioned way in disconnected digital files, or even in manual files. Going forward, data must be centralized and tracked throughout a system that includes the manufacturer. Doing so will make distribution more efficient and reduce errors. In addition, by amassing a database of wound care knowledge, our industry will be better able to track and analyze data, on a larger scale, leading to improved wound care performance and best practices.

4) Making wound care learning and development a higher priority.
For too long, wound care itself had been seen as a negative, something to be discussed in hushed tones. Staff training was limited or non-existent. As our industry continues to bring wound care out into the open in order to manage it more effectively, continuing education must be institutionalized as a key element of organizational Wound Care Culture™.

5) Keeping frequency and consistency levels high.
Our research has shown that one of the keys to wound care success is due to the greater frequency of care in changing dressings. However, the increased demand threatens to reduce the frequency of care due to staffing and economic factors when in fact the opposite is true: care frequency speeds recovery, leading to requiring fewer personnel and materials, after all.

Said Navazio, "The wound care industry is facing vulnerabilities, but it is also facing tremendous opportunities to benefit from innovation and technology to create much-needed evolution in our industry developing a Wound Care Culture™ designed to significantly improve the quality of wound care for our patients.”

ABOUT DAVID NAVAZIO AND GENTELL
David Navazio is the President and CEO of Gentell, Inc. and affiliated companies. Starting in 1994, with a small home medical equipment and respiratory company, David built Gentell to be a world leader in wound care. His pioneering vision has inspired innovations such as advanced wound healing protocols, developed uniquely for nursing homes, the creation of state-of-the-art wound care products, industry-leading wound treatment educational programs, cutting-edge wound care management technology and more.

Among many accomplishments, David worked tirelessly with the National Association for the Support of Long-Term Care (NASL) and chaired the committee responsible for having the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) recognize advanced wound care products. The result was a Congressional change to the Medicare Coverage Policies (Section 2079) to not only recognize wound care but to provide coverage for advanced wound care products.

David is Board Chair Emeritus of Pearl S. Buck International, on the Advisory Board of the Salvation Army, West Central New Jersey region, and active in leadership of regional Rotary International. He is also Honorary Commander of Joint Base MDL and a Board member of the Liguori Academy.

Gentell is the largest integrated wound care manufacturer in the world, with manufacturing plants in the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom, as well as facilities around the world. The company manufactures and supplies efficient, affordable patient-specific wound care treatments to nursing homes, hospitals, home care, hospices and other providers.

Gentell
1000 Floral Vale Blvd., Suite 400
Yardley, PA 19067 USA
Toll Free: 1-800-840-9041
Phone: 215-788-2700
Fax: 215-788-2715

Website: Gentell.com
LinkedIn: /in/davidnavazio /company/gentell
Twitter: @gentell 2701
Facebook: facebook.com/woundadvisor

Leo Levinson
GroupLevinson Public Relations
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