Management of Moderate-to-highly Exuding Leg Ulcers with Superabsorbent Wound Dressings versus Foams Dressings in Spanish Settings: An Early-stage Cost-effectiveness and Budget-impact Analyses

This study endeavors to ascertain the cost-effectiveness and utility of employing SAPs in comparison to foam dressings for the management of moderate-to-highly exuding leg ulcers within Spanish healthcare contexts. Furthermore, it aims to conduct an associated budget-impact analysis for the Spanish National Health Service, thereby considering the financial implications relevant to the implementation of these interventions. The economic evaluation and budget impact model adhered to Spanish and international guidelines. with reporting quality of economic evaluation assessed using the CHEERS checklist and the Drummond checklist for ensuring adequate conduct. The evidence synthesis process involved identifying and appraising the most recent and highest level of evidence research. The identified data inputs were adjusted in accordance with recommended practices for research quality and incorporated into a mathematical model that accounted for the natural history of chronic leg ulcers. Based on the results of this preliminary health economic analysis, utilizing SAP wound dressings instead of foam dressings in patients with moderate-to-highly exuding leg ulcers within the Spanish Health Care System is projected to yield favorable outcomes. The analysis predicts an enhanced healing rate of 2.33%, an incremental improvement in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) by 0.129 quality-adjusted life weeks (QALWs), and a total direct cost reduction of 570 Euros per patient over a six-month period. Extrapolating these findings to a scenario where all leg ulcers are treated with SAPs rather than foam dressings, the Spanish NHS could potentially achieve an annual cost savings of 43.46 million of Euros. These clinical outcomes align with current treatment guidelines that advocate for superabsorbent wound dressings as the primary choice for managing moderate-to-highly exuding leg ulcers. ### Competing Interest Statement VV is an employee of HARTMANN GROUP and may have competing interests. Other author does not have conflict of interest to declare in relation to this analysis. ### Funding Statement No funding support received. ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable. Yes All avaiable data are reported.