The use of telemedicine in the management of diabetes-related foot ulceration: a pilot study.

Objective: To determine if the management of forefoot ulcerations through telemedicine is medically equivalent to ulcer care at a diabetes foot program.

Design: Nonrandomized comparison of forefoot ulcer healing rates.

Setting: The Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Diabetes Foot Program, Baton Rouge, LA, and Lallie Kemp Medical Center, Independence, LA.

Participants: Twenty consecutive patients with diabetes were treated for neuropathic forefoot ulcerations via telemedicine consultation and 120 consecutive patients with diabetes were treated face-to-face at a diabetes foot program.

Interventions: Management of forefoot ulcers by a certified wound care nurse trained in the use of a staged management approach algorithm and alternative off-loading methods, supported by real-time interactive telemedicine consultation.

Main Outcome Variables: Forefoot ulcer healing time in days, percentage of wounds healed in 12 weeks, and healing time ratio (adjusted for age, gender, ulcer duration, location, size, crossover, and grade).

Results: No differences were found between the telemedicine and diabetes foot program groups in the average forefoot ulcer healing time (43.2 + 29.3 vs. and 45.5 + 43.4 days, P =.828), the percent of forefoot ulcers healed in 12 weeks (75 % vs. 81%, P =.546) and the adjusted healing time ratio (1.40 vs 1.00, P =.104).

Conclusion: These data appear to support the effectiveness of real-time interactive telemedicine consultation in the management of diabetes-related forefoot ulceration.