Lenka Krupova
1 | Andrea Pokorna
2,3 | Miroslav Krupa4 | Klara Bene
sov ˇ a
3

1 Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic

2 Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic

3 Institute of Biostatistics and Analyses, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic

4 Faculty of Business Administration, Prague University of Economics and Business, Prague, Czech Republic

Correspondence

Andrea Pokorn
a, Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic. Email: 该Email地址已收到反垃圾邮件插件保护。要显示它您需要在浏览器中启用JavaScript。

Funding information

Ministerstvo Zdravotnictví Ceské Republiky, Grant/Award Number: NU20-09-00094

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes.

© 2025 The Author(s). International Wound Journal published by Medicalhelplines.com Inc and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Abstract

Pressure ulcers (PUs) impose a significant economic burden on healthcare sys tems, affecting patient quality of life and leading to substantial treatment costs. This study presents a cost-of-illness analysis of PU treatment in hospitalized patients in the Czech Republic, based on real-world clinical data. The analysis was conducted using a comprehensive methodology at a Czech university hos pital, involving 304 hospitalizations. The study included all hospitalized patients with PUs. Data were collected employing a bottom-up, person-based approach, which refers to the collection and analysis of cost data at the individ ual patient level. This method captures detailed resource utilization for each patient. The methodology accounted for both systemic and local costs, includ ing materials, medications, caregiver time, and procedures. The study involved 304 hospitalizations, with a mean length of stay of 13 days. The total cost of PU treatment, excluding pharmacotherapy, had a median of €678, while including pharmacotherapy, the median cost rose to €929. Younger patients incurred higher treatment costs. Significant cost variations were observed among different departments. We developed and applied a novel cost model to quantify the expenses associated with PUs, which accurately highlighted the financial burden in the hospital care setting. We present a rigorous methodol ogy for PU cost-of-illness analysis, providing a valuable tool for future research and clinical practice. This comprehensive approach supports the development of targeted interventions to reduce the incidence and severity of PUs, ulti mately improving patient care and reducing healthcare costs.

KEYWORDS

cost analysis, healthcare costs, patients, pressure ulcers, treatment costs

Key Messages

Accurate cost-of-illness analysis of pressure ulcer treatment is crucial for improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs.

This study developed a methodology to calculate PU treatment costs, using data from 304 hospitalizations at a Czech university hospital.

The median PU treatment cost was €678 (excluding pharmacotherapy) and €929 (including pharmacotherapy), with significant cost variations across

The cost model provides a tool for targeting interventions in pressure ulcers' management to reduce financial burden and enhance patient care.