Published in the International Wound Journal (IWJ), the study reports the addition of the geko® device to standard of care (SoC):
- Increases healing probability by 68% compared to SoC alone.
- Delivers cost saving of £774.14 per patient
- Reduces overall costs of venous leg ulcer care in the NHS by 15%.
HIGH WYCOMBE, England, Oct. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- UK-based medical device manufacturer Sky Medical Technology (Sky), parent company of Firstkind Ltd, today announced the welcomed publication of a study evaluating the cost-effectiveness of the geko device - an innovative neuromuscular electro-stimulator (NMES) - with standard of care (SoC), versus SoC alone, in the treatment of venous leg ulcers (VLU).
Key findings from the study, published in the International Wound Journal (IWJ), demonstrate that the geko device significantly enhances treatment outcomes by stimulating the common peroneal nerve, which increases venous, arterial, and microvascular blood flow. This physiological benefit translates into a remarkable 68% increase in wound healing compared to SoC alone.
From an economic perspective, integration of the geko device into SoC protocols offers substantial cost savings. The study concluded that using the geko device results in an average cost saving of £774.14 per patient, compared to SoC alone across the NHS.
Furthermore, economic analyses indicate that adopting the geko device reduces overall NHS average expenditure on venous leg ulcer wound management by 15% per patient. The approach also positively impacts patients' health-related quality of life, making it a cost-effective adjunctive therapy for managing chronic venous leg ulcers within the NHS.
Fiona Young, Firstkind Wound Care Business Director, comments: "We are greatly encouraged by this health economic data. VLUs represent a substantial public health challenge in the UK, affecting approximately 1 in 500 individuals, a rate which increases to one in 50 for those over the age of 80. VLUs are a leading cause of morbidity and significantly impact health-related quality of life. By improving healing rates and reducing costs, the geko device represents a significant advancement in the standard of care for venous leg ulcer treatment".
Also commenting, Bernard Ross Sky Founder and CEO said: "The NHS spends an estimated £3.1 billion annually treating VLUs, with approximately 87% of these costs (£ 2.8 billion) are used to treat hard-to-heal VLUs. Publication of the geko device VLU cost-effectiveness data underscores our company's dedication to evidence-based solutions that can address critical healthcare challenges and reduce healthcare system costs. The evidence indicates that adding geko to the care of chronic wounds offers the NHS a direct and immediate potential cost saving of £420m annually. It is the potential to also heal more than 3 times as many chronic debilitating wounds over a 12-month period and the profound impact this will have on the quality of life of our patients that is the most exciting".
About the geko device
The geko device is a neuromuscular electro-stimulator (NMES) designed for non-invasive use. It is applied to the skin's surface on the lateral aspect of the leg below the knee and over the head of the fibula. The device delivers a balanced electrical pulse to the common peroneal nerve, inducing dorsiflexion of the foot, which activates the venous calf and foot muscle pumps, thereby enhancing venous, arterial and microvascular blood flow. www.gekodevices.com
About the geko device landmark study
The study - a multi-centre self-controlled trial - randomised patients with hard-to-heal VLUs, each acting as their own control. The primary efficacy endpoint was a comparison of the rate of Wound Margin Advance (WMA), a powerful predictor of wound healing, during a four-week treatment period where the geko device was worn for 12 hours per day alongside SoC, compared to WMA during a four-week period where the patient received SoC only.
The results show that adding the geko device alongside SoC, led to a statistically significant two-fold acceleration in the rate of VLU healing (p=0.016), as measured by Wound Margin Advance (WMA) compared to a 4-week period of compression alone. Analysis of the percentage area reduction (PAR) also showed a two-fold acceleration in the rate of healing (p=0.011), in contrast to compression alone, which maintained the same rate of healing throughout the run-in and treatment phases of the study. The geko device was also reported as well tolerated with 94% patient concordance.
Conducted primarily within community services and outpatient leg ulcer clinics, the research encompassed a partitioned survival model based on a two-arm randomised controlled trial, assessing wound healing rates using Kaplan-Meier curves and parametric extrapolations, over a 12-month period. Costs were derived from UK reference costs, the British National Formulary, and the Personal Social Services Research Unit (2021/22). The primary outcome measured was the incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year gained.
About Sky Medical Technology Ltd:
Sky Medical Technology Ltd, parent company of Firstkind Ltd, is a pioneering medical devices manufacturer focused on developing innovative solutions to improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs. The company's flagship product, the geko device, is an advanced neuromuscular electro-stimulator designed to enhance blood flow to address a range of medical conditions. Conditions of focus include accelerated chronic wound healing, thrombosis prevention, and the management of trauma-based and pre- and post-operative swelling. Sky Medical Technology Ltd is dedicated to advancing healthcare through cutting-edge research and product development. www.gekodevices.com
Note to Editors:
For access to the cost-effective study click: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/iwj.70048
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