Smith+Nephew sponsored research shows COVID-19 has accelerated patient involvement in chronic wound care which can be supported by advanced foams such as ALLEVYN™ LIFE Dressing

LONDON, April 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Smith+Nephew (NYSE:SNN; LSE:SN), the global medical technology business, announces the publication of new research showing that clinicians estimated that 45% of their patients with chronic wounds would benefit from greater involvement in their care, and half of these clinicians believed this would enable them to spend more time with other patients.¹

The results of the research, published in Wounds International, concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic had been instrumental in providing a real-world opportunity for clinicians to better understand the benefits of greater patient shared care.

Clinicians reported a decline in home visits and an increase in remote care via digital communication tools such as video calls, text and email.¹ They also claimed to have used alternative dressings or therapies that reduced the frequency of dressing changes.¹ Some expressed a concern that when patients are involved in their care they don't change the wound dressing at the right frequency.² Advanced features such as absorbency and exudate management, present in Smith+Nephew's ALLEVYN LIFE Dressings, were rated as most important when choosing a foam.²

Practitioner attitudes towards encouraging shared care varied globally; in China, the UK and the USA, shared care is a more established approach than in France and Germany, where care is predominately nurse-led. The findings indicate that even clinicians who are positive toward shared care require support to identify patients who can share care, and practical tools are needed to facilitate this approach to service delivery.

"It is important to remember that shared care does not mean less care for the patient, rather it is simply an alternative approach that has been shown to be beneficial to clinicians, patients and care providers," said Zena Moore, Professor of Nursing and Head of the School of Nursing & Midwifery and Director of the Skin Wounds and Trauma Research Centre, Royal College of Surgeons, University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ireland. "This transition is set to continue beyond the pandemic so the timing is right to gain consensus from the international wound care community on how to support effective strategies that can expedite greater patient involvement. Understanding the individual needs and extent to which patients are able to share care is critical."

"We welcome the results of this survey," said Cathy Dalene, SVP Global Marketing, Advanced Wound Management, Smith+Nephew. "It suggests that clinicians require support to identify the patients who can appropriately share care, and the wound care industry can play a role in supporting nurses and patients. We are committed to bringing together key opinion leaders and finding practical solutions to increasing patient engagement and reduce the human and economic consequence of wounds."

A total of 511 HCPs globally who treat chronic wounds in a community setting were surveyed.

Shared care involves the establishment of partnerships between professionals and patients in which they share a common goal. Examples are an improvement in the health of a patient where there is patient empowerment to take a major degree of responsibility for their own care.³

ALLEVYN LIFE Dressings with EXULOCK™ Advanced Lock-in Technology provide effective exudate management,^4-7 and high levels of patient comfort.^6,7 The EXUMASK™ Change Indicator helps patients and carers take ownership of wounds,⁶ whilst simultaneously providing high patient satisfaction and confidence  through fewer dressing changes.^7-9

To learn more about ALLEVYN LIFE Dressings please visit www.smith-nephew.com/onemoreday

References

1. Moore Z, Coggins T. Clinician attitudes to shared-care and perceptions on the current extent of patient engagement in wound care: Results of a clinician survey. Wounds International. 2021;12;48-53.
2. Data on file.
3. World Union of Wound Healing Societies (2020) Optimising wound care through patient engagement. London: Wounds International. Available at: www.woundsinternational.com Tiscar-González V, Rodriguez MJM, Rabadán Sainz C, et al. Clinical and economic impact of wound care using a polyurethane foam multi-layer dressing versus standard dressings on delayed healing ulcers. Adv Skin Wound Care. 2021;34(1):23-30.
4. Smith+Nephew 2012. Simulated Wound Model Testing of ALLEVYN Life and Mepilex Border. Internal Report. DS/12/130/DOF.
5. Stephen-Haynes J, Bielby A, Searle R. The clinical performance of a silicone foam in an NHS community trust. Journal of Community Nursing. 2013;27(5):50-59.
6. Simon D, Bielby A. A structured collaborative approach to appraise the clinical performance of a new product. Wounds UK. 2014;10(3):80-87.
7. Rossington A, Drysdale, K, and Winter R. Clinical performance and positive impact on patient wellbeing of ALLEVYN Life. Wounds UK. 2013;9(4):91-95.
8. Joy H, Bielby A, Searle R. A collaborative project to enhance efficiency through dressing change practice. J Wound Care. 2015 Jul;24(7):312, 314-7.
9. Tiscar-González V, Rodriguez MJM, Rabadán Sainz C, et al. Clinical and economic impact of wound care using a polyurethane foam multi-layer dressing versus standard dressings on delayed healing ulcers. Adv Skin Wound Care. 2021;34(1):23-30.

For detailed product information, including indications for use, contraindications, precautions and warnings, please consult the product's applicable Instructions for Use (IFU) prior to use.

About Smith+Nephew
Smith+Nephew is a portfolio medical technology business that exists to restore people's bodies and their self-belief by using technology to take the limits off living. We call this purpose 'Life Unlimited'. Our 18,000 employees deliver this mission every day, making a difference to patients' lives through the excellence of our product portfolio, and the invention and application of new technologies across our three global franchises of Orthopaedics, Advanced Wound Management and Sports Medicine & ENT.

Founded in Hull, UK, in 1856, we now operate in more than 100 countries, and generated annual sales of $4.6 billion in 2020. Smith+Nephew is a constituent of the FTSE100 (LSE:SN, NYSE:SNN). The terms 'Group' and 'Smith+Nephew' are used to refer to Smith & Nephew plc and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless the context requires otherwise.

For more information about Smith+Nephew, please visit www.smith-nephew.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook.

To learn more about how we can help you get CLOSER TO ZERO™ human and economic consequence of wounds, please visit www.closertozero.com

Forward-looking Statements
This document may contain forward-looking statements that may or may not prove accurate. For example, statements regarding expected revenue growth and trading margins, market trends and our product pipeline are forward-looking statements. Phrases such as "aim", "plan", "intend", "anticipate", "well-placed", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "target", "consider" and similar expressions are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from what is expressed or implied by the statements. For Smith+Nephew, these factors include: risks related to the impact of COVID-19, such as the depth and longevity of its impact, government actions and other restrictive measures taken in response, material delays and cancellations of elective procedures, reduced procedure capacity at medical facilities, restricted access for sales representatives to medical facilities, or our ability to execute business continuity plans as a result of COVID-19; economic and financial conditions in the markets we serve, especially those affecting health care providers, payers and customers (including, without limitation, as a result of COVID-19); price levels for established and innovative medical devices; developments in medical technology; regulatory approvals, reimbursement decisions or other government actions; product defects or recalls or other problems with quality management systems or failure to comply with related regulations; litigation relating to patent or other claims; legal compliance risks and related investigative, remedial or enforcement actions; disruption to our supply chain or operations or those of our suppliers (including, without limitation, as a result of COVID-19); competition for qualified personnel; strategic actions, including acquisitions and dispositions, our success in performing due diligence, valuing and integrating acquired businesses; disruption that may result from transactions or other changes we make in our business plans or organisation to adapt to market developments; and numerous other matters that affect us or our markets, including those of a political, economic, business, competitive or reputational nature. Please refer to the documents that Smith+Nephew has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including Smith+Nephew's most recent annual report on Form 20-F, for a discussion of certain of these factors. Any forward-looking statement is based on information available to Smith+Nephew as of the date of the statement. All written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to Smith+Nephew are qualified by this caution. Smith+Nephew does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect any change in circumstances or in Smith+Nephew's expectations.

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April 2021. 30022

SOURCE Smith & Nephew plc

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