SmartTRAK analyzes how COVID-19 and vaccinations will impact the US Advanced Wound Care Market in 2021.
The impact of COVID-19 on life in the US and its onslaught into the US health care system began in mid-March. CMS and the American College of Surgeons recommended that hospitals, physicians and clinics halt all non-essential medical and surgical procedures, including the treatment of many types of wounds. However, the continual care of a chronic wound is essential for patients to ensure it is on the correct trajectory to heal. Typically, clinicians treat chronic wounds at least once a week to assess the progress of the wound, provide debridement and/or apply CTPs (skin substitutes). The hospital outpatient department (HOPD) wound clinics have been the primary site-of-care to treat these wounds but with the closing of several of these facilities during the initial COVID surge, many patients with chronic wounds were not seen, delayed treatment or began the transfer to the physician office for treatment. In fact, there is some evidence that wounds increased in severity since the start of the pandemic resulting in greater use of higher technology products and unfortunately, an increase in amputations.
The most significant impact on the market occurred in April/May 2020 when several states went into lock down and most, if not all, elective procedures were cancelled. SmartTRAK analyzed the Advanced Wound Care market back in April with the assumption that the peak of COVID-19 would occur during April/May and would slowly return to normal in a v-shaped or hockey-stick shaped recovery. However, data show COVID-19 did not peak solely in the April/May time frame ...