Lower Resource Utilization for Patients with Healed Diabetic Foot Ulcers during Participation in a Prevention Program with Foot Temperature Monitoring

摘要

Purpose of Study: This study evaluates the effect of a diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) prevention program on hospitalizations, emergency department and outpatient visits, as well as rates of DFU recurrence and lower extremity amputations among patients with recently-healed diabetic ulcers. Approach: Real-world data of 80 participants with healed DFUs, who were part of a one-year ulcer recurrence prevention program, was retrospectively analyzed. Study outcomes were evaluated two years before being part of the prevention program, one year during the program, and after the program ended. Patients who were diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, with a history of DFU or amputation that had healed within two years, with the presence of palpable posterior tibial pulse and dorsalis pedis pulse, or with ankle-brachial index exceeding 0.5 in the prior year were included in the study. Patents with inflammatory foot conditions, unhealed DFUs, active Charcot arthropathy, prevalent foot infection or cellulitis, history of lower extremity amputation (LEA) more proximal than transmetatarsal and who were unable to walk without the assistance of a wheelchair, walker, or crutches were excluded.