European Markets for Wound Dressings and Wound Cleansing/Debridement Products

Over the past 20 years, dramatic advances have been made in the management of wound patients, including acknowledgment of the costs associated with wound management, earlier recognition of the risk factors associated with wound development, and technological advancements in wound care products that have led to the creation and market entry of a variety of innovative solutions for wound management. These factors have greatly improved the ability of clinicians to overcome many of the previously irresolvable issues associated with the treatment of acute and chronic wounds. The clinical benefits of these advances include more rapid wound healing and reduced scarring. These advances are expected to continue to significantly improve patient outcomes as well as quality of life.

In addition to the previously mentioned developments in the wound management products market, awareness regarding the factors contributing to the increased prevalence of wounds is increasing. These factors include the aging of the population, the increasing incidences of diabetes and obesity, and the increasing resistance to antibiotics. As the prevalence of wounds increases, the associated costs associated with wound management increase as well; as a result, cost pressures within the individual healthcare systems across Europe have become major economic and political issues. As European nations strive to provide their citizens with adequate care while maintaining cost consciousness, many healthcare authorities in the region have provided alternative care sites for elderly patients and those with chronic conditions requiring ongoing care. This trend has resulted in an increase in the construction of long-term and rehabilitative care facilities, and the establishment of community-based programs and home healthcare agencies, creating opportunities for wound management suppliers to enter new or expanded markets.

The challenge to these companies lies in bridging the gap between the aging population’s high-technology medical product requirements and the region-wide healthcare spending reduction requirements.  There is increased pressure for wound management suppliers to demonstrate the cost effectiveness and efficacy of their products through various clinical patient assessments. 

Countries covered by this report include France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom (U.K.), the Benelux countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg), the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden), and the Rest of Europe (Albania, Andorra, Austria, Bosnia/Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malta, Monaco, Poland, Portugal, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Switzerland).