Can all wounds heal with good care?

There is a very important misconception in the medical community that ‘all wounds can heal with good care.’ The reciprocal of that statement implies blame on the medical care provided for wounds that do not heal. This is simply not the case. The truth is that not all wounds can heal. There are a number of patients that require ‘maintenance care’ to prevent infection, (or limit the spread of infection), prevent amputation and decrease patient mortality.

The ‘all wounds can heal misconception’ is the result of poorly performed studies that make these statements, fuels malpractice litigations and can be used to establish poor policies from insurers.

Several years ago, a Medicare carrier rolled out a new coverage program which required wound care patients to demonstrate a percentage of healing at 30 days. The Academy of Physicians in Wound Healing (APWH), with other organisations, opposed this requirement, as it could negatively affect the lives of many patients. Ultimately, the insurer reversed the decision and the requirement was dropped.