Smith & Nephew, the global medical technology business, announces results showing a 97.3 percent decrease in readmission rates for joint arthroplasties (TJA) conducted under its Episode of Care Assurance Program (eCAP).
 
Working with Provider PPI, eCAP combines Smith & Nephew’s hip and knee implants with its PICO Negative Pressure Wound Therapy and ACTICOAT Flex 7 Antimicrobial Barrier Dressings. These products are applied post-surgery; PICO may help protect the incision by reducing seroma and hematoma fluid collections, reducing edema and lateral tension and improving perfusion.^1-5  ACTICOAT Flex 7, which contains Nanocrystalline Silver, provides an effective barrier to microbial contamination to help deter surgical site infections.⁶
 
Over the past 14 months 1,380 TJAs have been conducted under the eCAP program with only two readmissions, a readmission rate of only 0.145 percent as compared to published rates of 5.3 percent or more.⁷
 
“As healthcare systems move from fee for service to pay for value, healthcare providers are increasingly responsible for the episode of care for the patient,” said Glenn Warner, president, Smith & Nephew U.S. “eCAP can help enable providers to reduce costly readmissions after TJA by adding class-leading wound care products to help manage surgical incisions. We are proud to support our customers with programs that deliver improved care in a large-scale, real-world setting.”
 
Smith & Nephew worked with Provider PPI, a group purchasing organization, to implement this program at Provider PPI’s client facilities in late 2016 with positive results, and is now serving 16 facilities across the United States.
 
“Adding PICO and ACTICOAT products from Smith & Nephew to our TJA cases has been a great win for our health system clients and their patients,” said Paul Gallagher, vice president, Provider PPI. “I am pleased to see our readmission rate drop to nearly zero. In Smith & Nephew we’ve worked with a comprehensive product solutions partner that’s willing to stand behind its product portfolio.”
 
Smith & Nephew is a global medical technology business developing products in orthopeedic reconstruction, advanced wound management, sports medicine and trauma and extremities, Smith & Nephew has around 15,000 employees and a presence in more than 100 countries. Annual sales in 2016 were almost $4.7 billion.
 
References
1. Lumb H. Bacterial barrier testing (wet-wet) of PICO™ dressing with a 7 day test duration against S. marcescens.
2. Wilkes RP, et al. Closed incision management with negative pressure wound therapy (CIM): Biomechanics. Surg Innov 2011.
3. Karlakki S, et al. Negative Pressure Wound Therapy for management of the surgical incision in Orthopedic surgery. A review of evidence and mechanisms for an emerging indication. Bone Joint Res 2013; 2: 276-284.
4. Canonico S, et al. Therapeutic possibilities with portable NPWT. Initial multidisciplinary observations with the negative pressure device. Acta Vulnol 2012; 10: 57-66.
5. Selvaggi F, et al. New advances in Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) for surgical wounds of patients affected with Crohn’s Disease. Surg Tech Int 2014; XXIV: 83- 89.
6. Burrell et al. Efficacy of Silver-Coated Dressing as Bacterial Barriers in a Rodent Burn Sepsis Model, WOUNDS 1999; 11(4):64-71.
7. Unplanned Readmission After Total Joint Arthroplasty: Rates, Reasons, And Risk Factors – The Journal Of Bone & Joint Surgery – jbjs.org – Volume 95-A – Number 20 October 16, 2013.