TY  - JOUR
T1  - Cutting costs and caseloads with a monofilament debridement pad
LA  - English
AU  - Kerr, Andrew
AB  - Debridement is the removal of non-viable tissue from the wound bed and surrounding skin and is an important part of wound healing and wound bed preparation. Devitalised tissue, such as necrosis, slough and hyperkeratosis, interfere with the process of wound healing. When a wound fails to progress, there is a need to assess the wound bed and surrounding tissue and promote an optimum environment that encourages the formation of healthy granulation tissue (Young, 2014). Recent advances in debridement techniques using monofilament fibre technology can be practised by nonspecialist nurses and used safely and effectively in a patient’s home. In a recent audit, a dataset of 486 patients who had been newly prescribed a monofilament fibre debridement pad was obtained to validate clinical effectiveness and cost efficiency. The total cost of wound care prescribing fell by 14% or £101,723 in the six months after the intervention compared with the six months before. The average monthly expenditure per patient fell from £244 before the intervention to £209 after (Burnett et al, 2021). This evidence reinforces the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommendations for use of monofilament fibre debridement in the community, based on evidence of its effectiveness and estimated cost savings (NICE, 2019).
IS  - 6
PY  - 2022
SP  - 42
EP  - 48
JF  - Journal of Community Nursing
KW  - Debrisoft Pad (new 2017)
KW  - ReadyWrap™
ER  -