European Markets for Compression Therapy and Pressure Reduction/Relief Products Used for Wound Management

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 advancements have greatly improved the ability of clinicians to overcome many of the previously irresolvable issues associated with the treatment of acute and chronic wounds, and significantly improved patient outcomes as well as quality of life with more rapid wound healing and reduced scarring.

In addition to these developments in the wound management products market, awareness regarding the factors contributing to the increased prevalence of wounds is growing. These factors include the aging of the population, the rising incidence rates of diabetes and obesity, and the increasing resistance of microbes to antibiotics.  As the prevalence of wounds increases, the costs associated with wound management climb 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 product suppliers to enter new or expanded markets.  

The challenge to wound management product companies lies in bridging the gap between the aging population’s expensive, high-technology medical product requirements and region-wide healthcare spending reduction requirements.  There is increased pressure for wound management product 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).