Optimal outcomes at reasonable cost
Given the myriad of forces pulling on wound care practitioners, a guiding strategy that clearly defines goals and purposes is needed. That guiding strategy is this: wound care practitioners should perform only one service -deliver value. And if value truly governs every clinical decision, the health outcomes per dollar expended will improve dramatically.
When measuring value in wound care, patient outcomes are multidimensional and complex. Rate of healing, functional status, and quality of life all matter. And for different individuals, the relative importance of different outcomes varies.
There should be no presumption that good quality is more costly. Good quality is less costly because of more accurate diagnoses, fewer treatment errors, lower complication rates, faster healing, less invasive treatment, and the minimization of the need for treatment. And obviously, healed wounds are less costly than nonhealed wounds.