Practice Innovations
A recent study published in the JAHA assessed nearly 189,000 Medicare fee-for-service patients in over 31,000 zip codes having a major lower extremity amputation between 2010-2018. The investigators found that ZIP codes with a greater population of Black residents had higher rates of amputation than ZIP codes with lower proportions of Black residents. ZIP codes of lower social economic status also exhibited higher rates of amputation compared to those of higher SES. We used this information to compile a crosswalk of the patients seen by Woundtech clinicians in the LA and Miami metropolitan areas to compare our company outcome measures.
Results:
The Woundtech approach consistently yielded better healing outcomes for the diverse patient population we serve. Based on calculations from the first 10,000 visits performed in 2022, we determined that our providers spent an average of 36.6 minutes of face-to-face interaction time with each patient at each visit. In contrast, most U.S. physicians spend between 13 and 24 minutes with patients. As a result, our patients were less likely to end up seeking care in emergency departments and had fewer in-patient hospital admissions.
Discussion:
Patients receiving care in their homes by Woundtech dedicated wound care trained advanced practice clinicians can overcome inequities in healthcare based on the geographic location. This model of care has been shown to overcome what was previously believed to be unavoidable differences in health outcomes.
Trademarked Items:
References: Järbrink K, Ni G, Sönnergren H, et al. The humanistic and economic burden of chronic wounds: a protocol for a systematic review. Syst Rev 2017;6:15. Crossref, Medline, Google Scholar
2. https://nam.edu/social-determinants-of-health-101-for-health-care-five-plus-five/
3. https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/