MIAMI, FLORIDA — We are thrilled to announce that SmartTRAK's Susan Paquette, VP of Wound Care, will be speaking at the inaugural Cellular, Acellular and Matrix-like Products (CAMPs) Wound Care Summit 2024, set to take place on March 13-14 in the vibrant city of Miami. This two-day clinical and scientific summit aims to empower physicians and wound care professionals to achieve optimal outcomes, strategize for regulatory approval, and navigate reimbursement processes for CAMPs.

Over the last 10+ years, the market for skin substitutes has been turbulent with new technologies and products being launched and reimbursement changes occurring for the various sites of care. SmartTRAK highlights a few of these based on the recent SAWC Fall meeting.

Skin substitutes, also referred to as CTPs (cellular and/or tissue-based products) or CAMPs (cellular, acellular and matrix‑like products), remained front and center at the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC) Fall meeting held in Las Vegas on November 2-5, 2023. The strong presence of these products mirrors a similar trend in the overall US Advanced Wound Care (AWC) market. For Q323, skin substitutes alone account for 37% of the US AWC market, more than Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) or Advanced Dressings, according to an analysis of SmartTRAK Financial Dashboard.

In this article, SmartTRAK discusses in detail:

• The Migration of Skin Substitutes Over the Years
• Which Synthetics are Gaining Attention
• New Companies–Unique Technology and Innovations
• Health Policy Dynamics–Reimbursement and Advocacy
• The Future of US-Based AWC Companies
• The Potential for Acquisitions on the Horizon

To download and read the complete detailed "SAWC Fall 2023: Skin Substitutes Reign Again" article by SmartTRAK's Susan Paquette, VP & General Manager, Wound and Terry Hayslett, Sr. Analyst, Wound, just click the button below.

At the 20th World Congress of the International Union of Phlebology, SmartTRAK identifies market developments that will impact the treatment of venous and lymphatic diseases now and in the future.

The American Vein and Lymphatic Society recently hosted the 20th World Congress of the International Union of Phlebology (UIP 2023) in Miami Beach, FL. The Congress drew clinicians from around the world to discuss the latest advances in venous and lymphatic medicine. While the Congress covered many interesting topics, SmartTRAK noted market developments that will impact the treatment of venous and lymphatic diseases now and in the future. In this article, SmartTRAK explores the impact that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reimbursement cuts are having on physicians treating venous and lymphatic diseases, examines how clinicians and industry are responding to the proposed Medicare coverage of lymphedema treatment items and evaluates what’s on the horizon for emerging technologies. 

This downloadable article, discussing the market developments that will impact the treatment of venous and lymphatic diseases now and in the future, delves into many compelling topics, including:

Physician Payment Cuts
The American Medical Association reported that between 2001 and 2023, the cost of operating a medical practice increased by 47%, while physician payment rates increased by only 9%. When adjusted for inflation, the rates have gone down by 26%. Dr. John Blebea, Vascular Surgeon and Clinical Professor of Surgery at Central Michigan University, underscored this point with a presentation titled “The Effect of Medicare Physician Reimbursement Cuts on Office-Based Practices.” Dr. Blebea noted that ...

New Medicare Coverage of Lymphedema Treatment Items
Medicare currently provides Durable Medical Equipment (DME) coverage or authorizes payment for certain compression items when used to treat venous stasis ulcers. However, Medicare does not provide coverage for many of the same items when they are used to treat lymphedema. This dynamic provides a great case study of the effectiveness of advocacy in calling for ...

Emerging Technologies
If innovation fuels growth in the med tech industry, then the number of sessions on emerging technologies at UIP 2023 should mean that the future is bright for venous and lymphatic medicine. Dr. Steve Elias, Director, Center for Vein Disease, Englewood Health Network, hosted several sessions on emerging innovations in thrombectomy, sclerotherapy, artificial intelligence (AI)-guided imaging, intravascular ultrasound and compression therapy. SmartTRAK has covered the Compression Therapy Market since 2015 and has watched ...

To download and read the complete article about The Future of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine by Terry Hayslett, SmartTRAK Senior Analyst, Advanced Wound Care, just click the button below.

New SaaS technology offering delivers competitive advantage in rapidly changing Ambulatory Surgery Center market.

SmartTRAK, the leading global Medtech business and market software intelligence solution in the Orthopedics, Wound Care, Regenerative Medicine and Neuro Therapy markets, announces the release of enhanced software products and strategic reports available for purchase in Q4 to help clients position themselves for growth in 2024 and beyond.

Fertram Sigurjonsson, CEO of Kerecis, discusses the recent acquisition, how the Company has evolved over the last decade and key milestones along its “Road to Success” in an interview with SmartTRAK.

Csaba Dózsa, habil PhD MSc, Health Economist, discusses his model for cost-effectiveness in the prevention and treatment of pressure injuries in an interview with SmartTRAK.

In this interview, Prof. Dózsa unveils his groundbreaking pressure injury (PI) prevention costing model. With a 20-year background in health economics, he embarked on this journey from Hungary's National Health Insurance Fund. His expertise shaped the German DRG point system locally and steered home care development. Establishing Med-Econ Ltd., he delved into diverse health economic studies, culminating in a sophisticated, non-linear model for PI prevention costs.

The model's complexity stems from recognizing intricate healthcare inputs and outcomes. It calculates annual PI costs across scenarios: implementing preventive care bundles with or without multi-layer dressings, and treatment-only approaches. Designed as a calculation framework, it showcases the efficacy of preventive wound care.

Among the many questions answered by Prof, Dózsa in this interview are:

• Can this model be used in any health and political environment?
• How does the use of this model affect a hospital's use of dressings?
• How would you describe the cost structure of prevention and treatment?
• Can this model and its outcome lead to systemic changes?
• How long would it take a hospital or hospital system to adapt the model to their data?
• Can this model be used equally in the case of higher-risk patients, older patients or in hospitals that see proportionally more of these patients?

The interview, conducted by Anikó Szekér, SmartTRAK Senior Analyst, Wound Care, offers insights into Prof. Dózsa's journey and his PI prevention costing model's potential. To download a complete transcript of the interview, just click the button below.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) projects Medicare home health spending in the US will grow at an 8-year (2023-2031) CAGR of +8.6% compared to +7.4% for hospital expenditures. These projections help validate that healthcare services are shifting to the home care setting. The migration is driven by efforts to reduce costs, improve access and enhance the quality of care. Policymakers continue to manipulate reimbursement formulas to incentivize change. CMS recently released the CY 2024 Home Health Prospective Payment System (PPS) Proposed Rule that includes reimbursement policy revisions that could potentially increase the utilization of disposable negative pressure wound therapy (dNPWT) in the home health setting. This free downloadable article highlights:

• The Trajectory of dNPWT,
• Historical Challenges Associated with the Uptake in the Home Setting
• Incremental Policy Efforts Designed to Mitigate Those Challenges
• Billing Complexity Stalling Growth
• Incremental Changes Show Progress
• Impact of Proposed Policy Changes. 

With the establishment of a separate payment for the dNPWT and the relatively simpler billing processes, the proposed CMS changes are a net positive for manufacturers treating wounds in the home health setting. However, given the growing competition ...

To download the complete "CMS Proposed Rule Incentivizes Home Use of Disposable NPWT" perspective article by Terry Hayslett, SmartTRAK Senior Analyst, Advanced Wound Care, just click the button below.

Discover how Europe is transforming into a hotbed of innovation for chronic wound care through the breakthrough technology of cold plasma therapy. As the global focus on chronic wounds intensifies, European markets are witnessing a surge in new technologies that offer promising solutions. From smaller, portable devices to collaborative research efforts, this article highlights the rise of cold plasma therapy and its potential to revolutionize wound care. Download the article to further explore these, and other, key points:

• Europe's lower revenue levels for advanced wound therapies compared to the US present an opportunity for new technologies to thrive.
• Cold plasma therapy, utilizing low-temperature atmospheric pressure plasmas, demonstrates impressive benefits in treating chronic wounds, including bacterial inactivation and enhanced healing.
• Recent advancements have led to the development of smaller and more portable cold plasma devices, expanding treatment options beyond hospitals to ambulatory settings and even patients' homes.
• Swiss company ActivCell Group Ag, German companies neoplas med GmbH and Plasmacure BV and Dutch company Terraplasma Medical GmbH are among the pioneering companies offering innovative cold plasma devices.
• The future of cold plasma therapy depends on the willingness of companies to collaborate, navigate regulatory challenges, and establish a distinct market presence.
• While European advancements in cold plasma therapy are promising, the highly competitive US market remains a long-term goal for most companies, necessitating FDA approval and strategic partnerships.
• The rapid growth of topical oxygen therapy in the US, driven by initiatives like the Veterans Association and state-level Medicaid approvals, could potentially outpace European progress once FDA approval is obtained.

The full article delves into the transformative potential of cold plasma therapy in chronic wound care. Explore the advancements, collaborations and challenges that shape Europe's emerging market and its race against the US in revolutionizing wound treatment. Just click the button below to download the complete "EWMA 2023 - Cold Plasma Poised for Growth in Europe" article by Kris Flinn, SmartTRAK Senior Analyst - Wound.

This SAWC Spring 2023 perspective article extensively covers a wide range of topics pertaining to skin substitutes and Cellular and Tissue-based Products (CTPs), offering in-depth insights and analysis, and highlights a multitude of areas for discussion. Some of the key topics explored in this article include:

• CAMP Companies and Products Dominate
  • Spring SAWC was dominated by companies showcasing their CAMPs, with nearly 30 companies exhibiting this year. The market is currently led by ...
    
• Reimbursement: It’s Complicated
  • Skin substitute utilization is heavily influenced by reimbursement and setting of care. The physician office currently captures the largest share of the skin substitutes market. This is primarily driven by ...
    
• Emerging Sites of Care
  • In its Site of Care module, SmartTRAK currently tracks the use of CTP or CAMP products in the surgical suite, HOPD, physician office, VA Health system and burn center. In discussions at SAWC, SmartTRAK learned ...
• Future Growth
  • Despite reimbursement hurdles, SmartTRAK projects strong growth for this segment in the coming years, primarily due to ...
    

To download and read the complete "SAWC Spring 2023: Spotlight on the Skin Substitute Market" market perspective article by Susan Paquette, SmartTRAK's VP & General Manager, Wound, just click the button below.