I.S.U.S. PROJECT (ITALIAN SKIN ULCER STUDY) (1 January 2015-31 December 2016). Final data

The Italian National Healthcare System (NHS) processes data concerning outpatient services at public facilities based exclusively upon the weight of services provided. It is the Ministry of Health which initially determines the types of services that can be provided for each pathology. In Italy today (as we await the publication of the new Essential Care Levels already identified by the Ministry of Health) there are still no medical codes specifically associated with specialist outpatient services for the treatment of skin ulcers. This means that not all patients affected by this pathology who turn to public facilities are traceable. It is different where hospital admission is concerned because data is usually obtained from the discharge forms. Unfortunately, the data obtained is not always a true expression of the prevalence of skin ulcers in the hospital environment. In many cases the prevalence of pressure ulcers is not properly reported. This is because their appearance during hospitalization is an indicator of poor hospital care. The lack of data makes it impossible for our NHS to plan appropriate interventions in this area, both organizationally and economically. Scarce financial resources are allocated for the treatment of skin ulcers and their costs fall almost entirely upon the patients and their families. Furthermore, there are no national care networks dedicated specifically to their treatment.