(CR-042) Evaluating the Efficacy and Financial Impacts of Integrating AI-Powered Skin and Wound Solution in Post-Acute Care Skilled Nursing Facilities Over a Three Year Period ( 2021-2023).

A post-acute care skilled nursing organization with 28 facilities implemented an AI-powered digital wound care solution (DWCS) as their actionable strategy to enhance the wound care experience based on evidence-based practices. 1,2.3 

This descriptive evaluation study compared the change in Pressure Injury (PI) point prevalence and cumulative incidence rates in 26 skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) that adopted the DWCS as part of its advanced wound care program for the same 7-month period (Jan- July) from 2021-2023. The study also assessed the average days to heal a PI and the 30-day hospitalization rate of wound patients linked to adopting the technology for the same period. 


Methods: The study used mixed resources from the DWCS and SNFs databases to compare anonymous PI wound evaluations assessed in 2021-2023. From the SNFs, the study accessed data related to PI cumulative incidence and 30-day hospitalization, while it accessed the DWCS for data associated with PI prevalence and days to heal. The SNFs provided patient admission data for incidence and prevalence rates.  

Results:

There were 26,253 patient admissions from 2021-2023 at the 26 SNFs. Of these, 2,267 were PI wound episodes with a similar distribution in PI stages: 826 in 2021 vs. 733 in 2022 and 708 in 2023. 

The study shows an overall reduction of 4.3% and 3.5% in PI prevalence and cumulative incidence rates, respectively, from 2023 to 2021. Further, SNFs experienced a significant decrease in the average days to heal a PI in 2023. This decrease resulted in an average of 27.7 days saved per PI compared to the same period in 2021 and 2022 (P< 0.001). This reduction in healing time is linked to a projected annual savings of $90,773 on dressing change costs alone. Further, SNFs reported a 3.5% decrease in the 30-day hospitalization rate in 2023. This is equivalent to 351 fewer hospitalizations than in previous years, resulting in a projected annual savings of $1,007,508.  

 


Discussion: Implementing the DWCS as part of an advanced wound care program provides evidence-informed decision support at the point of care, which enhances care delivery and clinical outcomes and eliminates unnecessary health expenditures at SNFs.