The Economic Value of Specialized Lower-Extremity Medical Care by Podiatric Physicians in the Treatment of Diabetic Foot Ulcers

摘要

A database search of commercial and Medicare insurance records found 31,649 diabetic patients with foot ulcers that were treated and followed for at least 2 years after development of the ulcers. Nearly half of the patients, 14,522, were covered by commercial insurance and 17,127 were covered by Medicare. The patients covered by commercial insurance and the patients covered by Medicare were divided into two groups: those who had seen a podiatric physician in the year prior to development of the ulcer and those who had not. From the commercial insurance group 3,367 patients were identified who had seen a podiatric physician during the year prior to the development of the ulcer and they were matched with 3,367 patients who had not seen a podiatric physician. In the Medicare insurance group 4,161 patients had seen a podiatric physician during the year prior to the development of the ulcer and they were matched with an equal number who had not seen a podiatric physician.