Higher rates of all-cause mortality and resource utilization during episodes-of-care for diabetic foot ulceration.

Aims: Our primary objective was to determine whether all-cause rates of mortality and resource utilization were higher during periods of diabetic foot ulceration. In support of this objective, a secondary objective was to develop and validate an episode-of-care model for diabetic foot ulceration.

Methods: We evaluated data from the Medicare Limited Data Set between 2013 and 2019.

Lower extremity reamputation in people with diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

In this study, we determined the reamputation-free survival to both limbs and to the contralateral limb only following an index amputation of any-level and assessed whether reamputation rates have changed over time. We completed a systematic search using PubMed and screened a total of 205 articles for data on reamputation rates. We reported qualitative characteristics of 56 studies that included data on reamputation rates and completed a meta-analysis on 22 of the studies which enrolled exclusively participants with diabetes.

Lower resource utilization for patients with healed diabetic foot ulcers during participation in a prevention program with foot temperature monitoring.

Introduction: We assessed the impact of a diabetic foot ulcer prevention program incorporating once-daily foot temperature monitoring on hospitalizations, emergency department and outpatient visits, and rates of diabetic foot ulcer recurrence and lower extremity amputations for patients with recently healed foot ulcers.

Research Design And Methods: In this retrospective analysis of real-world data, we enrolled 80 participants with a healed diabetic foot ulcer in a year-long foot ulcer recurrence prevention program. Four outpatient centers within a large integrated healthcare system in the USA contributed to enrollment.

Recurrence rates suggest delayed identification of plantar ulceration for patients in diabetic foot remission.

Introduction: Foot ulcers are a common and costly complication of diabetes, and delays in treatment can result in impaired healing, infection, hospitalization, and lower extremity amputation.

Research Design And Methods: We aimed to determine whether patterns in plantar diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) recurrence coincided with typical intervals between routine preventive care appointments, which would suggest that delays exist between ulcer development and identification. We completed an analysis of existing data from two multicenter studies in 300 total participants.

Use of a Remote Temperature Monitoring Mat for the Early Identification of Foot Ulcers.

Introduction: Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are responsible for considerable morbidity, mortality, and cost. Remote temperature monitoring (RTM) is an evidenced-based and recommended component of standard foot care for at-risk patients. Although previous research has demonstrated the value of RTM for foot ulcer prevention, its benefits related to the early identification of diabetic foot complications may be underappreciated.

Accuracy of a foot temperature monitoring mat for predicting diabetic foot ulcers in patients with recent wounds or partial foot amputation.

Aims: To assess the accuracy of once-daily foot temperature monitoring for predicting foot ulceration in diabetic patients with recent wounds and partial foot amputation, complications previously perceived as challenging.

Methods: We completed a planned analysis of existing data from a recent study in 129 participants with a previously-healed diabetic foot ulcer. We considered four cohorts: all participants, participants with partial foot amputation, participants with a recent wound, and participants without partial foot amputation and without a recent wound.

Ulcer metastasis? Anatomical locations of recurrence for patients in diabetic foot remission.

Background: The "cancer analogy" is powerful for communicating risk to and organizing care for patients with diabetic foot syndrome. One potentially underappreciated similarity between cancer and foot ulcers is that both can recur at anatomical locations distinct from the primary occurrence, albeit with different physiological mechanisms. Few studies have characterized the location of diabetic foot ulcer recurrence, and these have been limited by considering only the first recurrent wound following a recent-healed wound.

Unilateral remote temperature monitoring to predict future ulceration for the diabetic foot in remission.

Objective: Daily remote foot temperature monitoring is an evidence-based preventive practice for patients at risk for diabetic foot complications. Unfortunately, the conventional approach requires comparison of temperatures between contralaterally matched anatomy, limiting practice in high-risk cohorts such as patients with a wound to one foot and those with proximal lower extremity amputation (LEA). We developed and assessed a novel approach for monitoring of a single foot for the prevention and early detection of diabetic foot complications.

Feasibility and Efficacy of a Smart Mat Technology to Predict Development of Diabetic Plantar Ulcers.

Objective: We conducted a multicenter evaluation of a novel remote foot-temperature monitoring system to characterize its accuracy for predicting impending diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) in a cohort of patients with diabetes with previously healed DFU.

Research Design And Methods: We enrolled 132 participants with diabetes and prior DFU in this 34-week cohort study to evaluate a remote foot-temperature monitoring system (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT02647346).