Cost-effectiveness of Blue Light Photobiomodulation therapy

SUMMARY

The aim of the trial is to evaluate Blue Light Photobiomodulation in terms of healing rate, quality of life and cost-effectiveness in patient with venous or mixed leg ulcers.

As primary objective, the trial aims to compare the healing rate between the control group, treated twice a week with standard of care (SoC) only, and the experimental group, treated once a week with Soc and Photobiomodulation therapy over a follow-up of 16 weeks. Blue Light treatment is performed for 60 seconds on the entire lesion’s area. The lesion size, the pain (VAS scale), quality of life as well as the direct (health and non-health) and indirect costs are prospectively collected.

Four facilities are involved and a total of 80 patients will be recruited. Only patients from Pisana University Hospital, (AOUP), Italy, are considered for these results.

Currently, 28 patients (21 female; 7 male) between control group (14) and treated group (14) have been enrolled. Median age of the patients: 77 years (51-96). Median ulcer duration: 13 months (2-56). Ulcers’ etiology: only two mixed ulcers and 26 venous ulcers. Main comorbidities: arterial hypertension; diabetes; cardiopathy.

Preliminary data show that the results of the ulcers treated with blue light and the control ulcers can be considered equivalent:  using Blue Light the number of visits per patient can be halved while maintaining equivalent clinical results.

Based on the preliminary results of the ongoing study, the use of Blue Light PBM in addition to standard of care can halve the number of outpatient accesses, reducing advanced dressings’ consumption and increasing the taking in charge of new patients by the wound clinic.