Enhancing Outpatient Wound Care: Applying AI to Optimize Treatment of Patients with Diabetic Foot Syndrome - The EPWUF-KI Project.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a significant public health issue in Germany, affecting 8 million individuals, with projections suggesting a substantial increase in the following years. Diabetic Foot Syndrome (DFS), leading to mobility issues and limb amputations, challenging healthcare due to resource shortages and the need for specialized care. The EPWUF-KI project seeks to support outpatient caregivers by incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into DFS wound care, focusing on optimizing treatment and automating documentation.

Sensor-Assisted Wound Therapy in Plantar Diabetic Foot Ulcer Treatment: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background: Offloading is the cornerstone of treatment of plantar diabetic foot ulcers. It limits mobility with consequent psychological and cardiovascular side effects, and if devices are removed, healing is delayed.

Methods: We developed three non-removable techniques with increasing offloading potential (multilayer felt sole, felt-fiberglass sole, or total contact casts with ventral windows) and sensors built within.

Ventral Windowed Total Contact Casts Safely Offload Diabetic Feet and Allow Access to the Foot.

Background: Irremovable total contact casts (TCCs) are the gold standard to offload diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) and to immobilize feet with active Charcot neuro-osteoarthropathy (CN). They do not allow checks of the foot and are contraindicated in people with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Frequently, removable TCCs and other removable devices are used because they allow wound care, modifications of the inner surface of the cast, and checks of the foot.

Negative pressure wound therapy compared with standard moist wound care on diabetic foot ulcers in real-life clinical practice: results of the German DiaFu-RCT.

Objectives: The aim of the DiaFu study was to evaluate effectiveness and safety of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) in patients with diabetic foot wounds in clinical practice.

Design: In this controlled clinical superiority trial with blinded outcome assessment patients were randomised in a 1:1 ratio stratified by study site and ulcer severity grade using a web-based-tool.

Setting: This German national study was conducted in 40 surgical and internal medicine inpatient and outpatient facilities specialised in diabetes foot care.

Decrease in (Major) Amputations in Diabetics: A Secondary Data Analysis by AOK Rheinland/Hamburg.

Aim: In two German regions with 11.1 million inhabitants, 6 networks for specialized treatment of DFS were implemented until 2008. Data provided for accounting purposes was analysed in order to determine changes in the rate of diabetics requiring amputations in the years before and after the implementation.