Smith+Nephew shares new research that estimates 3.5 billion hours of nurse time could be released by 2030 through shared wound care and use of long-wear advanced foam dressings

Smith+Nephew (LSE: SN, NYSE: SNN), the global medical technology business, announces the publication of a new peer-reviewed article in Wounds International. The article proposes that an estimated 3.5 billion hours of nursing time could be released globally by 2030 if shared care approaches between nurses and patients are adopted in chronic wound care alongside long-wear advanced foam dressings¹.

Accelerated by COVID-19², the global shortage of nurses is estimated to be as high as 10.6 million by 2030³. Facing an increasing number of patients with chronic wounds⁴, many nurses are adapting their practice to optimise the use of their time and potentially enhance patient experience².

The article introduces a mathematical model that estimates how many working hours could be released if community nurses offer patients with chronic wounds the choice of long-wear advanced foam dressings within a shared care approach, where clinically appropriate¹.

Shared care is the clinical practice of involving patients in the ongoing delivery of care, whilst supported and guided by a clinician. Patients with chronic wounds may be encouraged to take greater responsibility over dressing changes, lifestyle and nutrition factors, and monitoring and reporting⁵. The success of shared care is evidenced in other chronic conditions such as diabetes⁶, stoma management⁷ and incontinence⁸.

"Shared care does not mean less care for the patient, rather it is an alternative approach that involves patients in their own wound care, empowering individuals to monitor and change wound dressings at their convenience and regain independence” added Zena Moore, Professor of Nursing and Head of the School of Nursing & Midwifery and Director of the Skin Wounds and Trauma Research Centre, Royal College of Surgeons, University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ireland.

The 3.5 Billion Hours Time Release Model was created from published figures on the global nursing workforce and chronic wound burden. These data were combined with clinical efficiency evidence for long-wear advanced foam dressings. The publication’s findings indicate that there is an opportunity for nurses to reallocate more than 433 million hours of clinical time globally per annum, time that is currently spent on potentially unnecessary chronic wound care^1,9. This equates to an estimated global opportunity of 3.5 billion hours by 2030¹.

ALLEVYN^◊ LIFE Foam Dressings complement a shared wound care approach by enabling nurses and patients to support undisturbed healing. The dressings are designed to be left in-situ for 5 to 7 days^10–12, manage exudate with visible change indicators ^13–17 and are comfortable to wear.^13,15.

As nurses around the world move to adopt shared care practices in chronic wound management, implementation support will be needed. This includes access to long-wear advanced foam dressings, tools to identify patient suitability for shared wound care, and nurse-led education and resources.

Cathy Dalene, SVP Global Marketing, Advanced Wound Management, Smith+Nephew said “Many nurses who treat patients with chronic wounds are encouraging greater patient involvement. Smith+Nephew is committed to helping clinicians develop best practice whilst adopting this increasingly common care approach. This article quantifies the opportunity many nurses have identified; an opportunity to update wound care practice, reduce pressure on nurses and empower patients to be more self-sufficient.”

This article is the first of a series of work published by nursing experts in Wounds International, discussing the potential benefits of shared wound care and strategies for implementation.

A range of #WoundCareShared resources including a patient discussion guide and research papers can be found at woundcareshared.com

About Smith+Nephew

Smith+Nephew is a portfolio medical technology business focused on the repair, regeneration and replacement of soft and hard tissue. We exist to restore people’s bodies and their self-belief by using technology to take the limits off living. We call this purpose ‘Life Unlimited’. Our 18,000 employees deliver this mission every day, making a difference to patients’ lives through the excellence of our product portfolio, and the invention and application of new technologies across our three global franchises of Orthopaedics, Sports Medicine & ENT and Advanced Wound Management. 

Founded in Hull, UK, in 1856, we now operate in more than 100 countries, and generated annual sales of $5.2 billion in 2021. Smith+Nephew is a constituent of the FTSE100 (LSE:SN, NYSE:SNN). The terms ‘Group’ and ‘Smith+Nephew’ are used to refer to Smith & Nephew plc and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless the context requires otherwise. 

For more information about Smith+Nephew, please visit www.smith-nephew.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook. 

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