What drew me to Swift was our unique approach to addressing a challenge that often goes overlooked—the care of chronic wounds in vulnerable and neglected populations. We’re stepping up where others may not effectively address this critical issue. Over the last eight months, I have seen the powerful impact we can have on the lives of patients and clinicians who care for these patients. I have also witnessed this area of healthcare welcome innovation to help with the onslaught of challenges faced by patients and provider organizations. As this year ends, I reflected on the trends in wound care in 2023. Here are a few of my key observations:

1. Wound care can be data-driven. Gone are the days of inaccurate paper measurements, disparate medical records, singular disciplinary treatment plans and guesswork. We are lucky to live in a time where there is endless data to support care plans and precise data points to improve clinical decision-making. As the industry leader in digital wound care, we are proud to share Swift Skin and Wound reached over 23M wound images and 45M wound assessments. And more importantly, we continue to transform the largest wound care dataset into a usable format to assist clinical decision-making at the point of care. 
2. Technology is improving wound care. Digital technology is rapidly changing the world and healthcare is catching up. While multiple solutions offer digital wound measurement. Swift provides clinicians with a full toolset focused on wound care beyond just measurement that is unrivaled in accuracy. The application of digital technology in wound care is scientifically proven with Swift home health customers seeing:
   • A 15% reduction in rehospitalizations and
   • A 9% reduction in visit utilization.
3. The explosion of AI is helping close the gap in the shortage of wound care expertise. Can clinicians be replaced by technology? No. However, they can be empowered with clinical decision-making aides and the tools to collaborate with specialists. AI is one way to take some of the weight off nurses and improve clinical outcomes. We are proud to contribute towards this shift with 37% faster pressure injury healing in one of the largest skilled nursing facility chains using our AI technology lauded by McKnight’s as the Skilled Nursing Gold Tech Partner of the Year in the AI category. 
4. The demand for home health is continuing to rise, especially for outpatient care like wounds. The market has responded and adapted by tailoring solutions for nurses in the field, eliminating the need for a stockpile of supplies in the closet or immediate access to a leader in the next room. Adaptation is key, and the focus is on empowering nurses with practical and efficient solutions. We heard the feedback on HealX and introduced Sheeted HealX in 2023 for ease of use on the go. 
5. Investment in wound care will continue to be a priority as our population ages. With the aging population and growing cases of obesity and diabetes, chronic wounds are expected to be a continuous challenge. In numbers, more than 1.6M Americans over the age of 65 have open wounds. This is a problem that is not going away. This has been made clear by the continued investment in wound care and wound care-focused organizations and the investments being made by provider organizations. 
6. Integrated technology is key to bringing a voice to wound care. Wound care is notoriously difficult to measure because of its interdisciplinary nature. By combining technologies and partnering with the right organizations, wound care data and conversations will rise to the boardroom conversations. Swift Medical is proud to be the preferred partner of Homecare Homebase and to have added Zebra as a new partner, in 2023 to support clinicians whether it is for ease of use or new applications. 

While 2023 has been a momentous year of advancement for wound care, I know 2024 holds even more promise. Follow along to see how Swift Medical will continue to push the industry forward as we share more exciting updates.