November 21, 2007 - The recent announcement by Medicare and Medicaid that they will no longer reimburse expenses related to most hospital-acquired infections has created opportunity for companies in the paint and coatings industries to sell antimicrobial coatings, according to analysts at Kline, a worldwide consulting and research firm.
Coatings added to paint that kill molds and/or bacteria are clearly advantageous for use in hospitals, locker rooms, schools, and other public areas.
“About 5 to 10 percent of patients get an infection while they are in the hospital, at an average extra cost of $15,000 per patient,” says Nancy Mills, FlashPoint project manager. “Antimicrobial smart coatings on floors and walls will not completely solve the problem, but they will go a long way toward reducing it.”
Smart coatings - coatings that respond to external stimuli in their environment - are the focus of Smart Coatings and Smart Opportunities in Antimicrobial, Automotive, and Construction Applications, a new FlashPoint report from Kline. Many smart coatings are complex integrations of traditional coatings with nanotechnology.
Kline's FlashPoint series helps clients make critical decisions about how to respond to market opportunities and issues as they unfold.
For more information: www.klinegroup.com/reports/f0707.asp.