Etiology Specific Variation in Comprehensive Healing Rate and Time to Heal 2014-2017: Arterial, Diabetic, Pressure and Venous Ulcers
The comprehensive healing rate is a standardized and highly transparent methodology for reporting wound outcomes (Ennis et al. 2017) which is used in all Healogics Wound Care Centers®. The comprehensive healing rate is distinct because it utilizes a modified intent-to-treat framework meaning only patients who are consultations, in active treatment at the time the data is analyzed, or those patients who are being seen for non-wound conditions, are excluded from the measure. In prior analysis, the aggregate level comprehensive healing rate was reported across all wound types in order to examine population level trends in patient outcomes. However, while aggregation is useful to illustrate achievable population level outcomes, further attention is needed to address the variability in healing outcomes by wound etiology. In this analysis, we compare comprehensive healing rates and median weeks to heal for four wounds types: arterial, diabetic, pressure and venous ulcers.