A System Under Strain
Every year, Canada’s provincial and territorial governments spend more than $250 billion in total on health care (Canadian Institute for Health Information [CIHI], 2018). In the next decade as the country’s population ages, that spending is only going to increase. Longer life expectancies and declining fertility rates are contributing to an overall older demographic (World Health Organization, 2015). Economic models predict that healthcare costs will rise by 1% each year between 2010 and 2036 due to population aging alone (Mackenzie & Rachlis, 2010).
So, how can we achieve a sustainable healthcare system?
Nurses Specialized in Wound, Ostomy, and Continence can Help
Registered Nurses Specialized in Wound, Ostomy and Continence (NSWOCs) can help alleviate the financial strain facing administrators and policymakers through the provision of higher quality care, reduced costs and improved outcomes for patients.
In our previous article, we focused on how the high-quality care provided by NSWOCs improves outcomes for patients, care providers, and the healthcare industry as a whole. Today, we will be exploring how NSWOCs can help reduce healthcare costs across the country.
NSWOCs Lower Healthcare Costs
Controlling costs is critical across every facet of the healthcare system. The growing prevalence of wounds and high expenditure for wound management across all healthcare settings have made wound care a particular budgetary focus in Canada and around the world. NSWOCs are trained to assess and treat many types of complex wounds with evidence-based strategies that can help prevent complications.
NSWOCs Lower Healthcare Costs By:
Providing advanced wound care practices that translate into big savings
One report estimated that Ontario could reduce costs by 66%—for savings of $338 million—by adopting best practices for the treatment of patients with diabetic leg and foot ulcers (Shannon, 2007). Lower rates of infection and amputation would account for $24 million in savings.
Controlling costs in community care
Saving through remote-care delivery
For a More Sustainable System
Ultimately, with a tri-specialization in wound, ostomy and continence, NSWOCs are helping address the challenges facing Canada’s healthcare system. Employing NSWOCs is an effective strategy for controlling costs through high-quality, evidence-based care that leads to better outcomes for patients. NSWOCs bring about these benefits as care providers but also as sources of specialized knowledge for interdisciplinary healthcare teams, care consultants to other health professionals, as well as through best practice and protocol development, research and other avenues.
To learn more about the power of NSWOCs, visit the link below and stay tuned for our next article exploring how NSWOCs lead to better health outcomes for patients across Canada!