Raising the standards of care
Coloplast is focused on raising the standards of care through advocating for establishing reimbursement, which will ensure patients have access to the products they need, for as long as they need them
Through Coloplast’s corporate partnership programme, Access to Healthcare, Coloplast is committed to improving conditions for people who need care in the areas of ostomy, continence and wound care. Established in 2007, the programme has so far supported more than 70 projects in approximately 20 countries. The programme is part of Coloplast’s continued efforts to raise the standard of care.
All projects are created in collaboration with local stakeholders. The focus of Access to Healthcare projects varies, but the projects address similar themes. It is important that the projects create value for people with intimate healthcare needs and help them live with dignity.
Access to Healthcare projects bring together practitioners, users, NGOs and other public and private stakeholders to empower users, train practitioners and advocate for better care.
Access to Healthcare projects support the long-term ambitions of Coloplast by bringing us closer to users and helping us to gain new or deeper insights into the needs of other stakeholders, including healthcare practitioners, civil society and policy makers.
Case study - Breakthrough in improving the standard of care for many children and adults in Poland
As global market leader, Coloplast has through the Access to Healthcare program supported awareness in Poland around the advantages that patients experience when hydrophilic intermittent catheters is the proper standard of treatment for people with neurogenic bladder dysfunction. Up until today, the standard of care has been uncoated catheters, a treatment standard that is associated with increased urinary tract infections and other medical complications compared to hydrophilic catheters, which eventually translate into a lower quality of life for users. Although many urologists and patients were aware of the benefits of hydrophilic catheters, the lack of appropriate reimbursement was the key hurdle to improving the standard of care.
Coloplast has advocated for improved reimbursement alongside other stakeholders including pediatric urologists, healthcare system experts, patient groups, and other stakeholders. As a result of solid clinical evidence and a series of public consultations the Ministry of Health recently decided to introduce significantly improved reimbursement for hydrophilic catheters for children and adults in need of bladder management – a significant achievement that will enable more people to live a full, dignified life. The improved reimbursement scheme takes effect as of December 1, 2021. To support a successful transition to the new standard of care, Coloplast will focus on training healthcare professionals on the correct use of hydrophilic catheters. Coloplast will also place great emphasis on educating and supporting users through the Coloplast Care program. We are confident that the enhanced reimbursement will lead to improved patient outcomes to the benefit of users and the Polish healthcare system.