An economic analysis of a wearable patient sensor for preventing hospital-acquired pressure injuries among the acutely ill patients

Leo Nherera (), Barrett Larson, Annemari Cooley and Patrick Reinhard
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Leo Nherera: Smith+Nephew
Barrett Larson: Smith+Nephew, Texas and Stanford University School of Medicine
Annemari Cooley: Smith+Nephew
Patrick Reinhard: San Joaquin Valley College

International Journal of Health Economics and Management, 2021, vol. 21, issue 4, No 3, 457-471

Abstract: Abstract More than 2.5 million people in the United States develop pressure injuries annually, which are one of the most common complications occurring in hospitals. Despite being common, hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs) are largely considered preventable by regular patient turning. Although current methodologies to prompt on-time repositioning have limited efficacy, a wearable patient sensor has been shown to optimize turning practices and improve clinical outcomes. The purpose of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of patient-wearable sensor in the prevention of HAPIs in acutely ill patients when compared to standard practice alone. A decision analytic model was developed to simulate the expected costs and outcomes from the payer’s perspective using data from published literature, including a recently published randomized controlled trial. Both univariate and probabilistic sensitivity analysis were conducted. The patient-wearable sensor was found to be cost saving (dominant). It resulted in better clinical outcomes (77% reduction in HAPIs) compared to standard care and an expected cost savings of $6,621 per patient over a one-year period. Applying the model to a cohort of 1,000 patients, an estimated 203 HAPIs would be avoided with annualized cost reduction of $6,222,884 through all patient treatment settings. The probabilistic analysis returned similar results. In conclusion, the patient-wearable sensor was found to be cost-effective in the prevention of HAPIs and cost-saving to payers and hospitals. These results suggest that patient-wearable sensors should be considered as a cost-effective alternative to standard care in the prevention of HAPIs.

Keywords: Pressure injuries; Hospital-acquired conditions; Prevention; Cost effectiveness; Wearable sensors (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1007/s10754-021-09304-7

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