Prioritisation of diabetes-related footcare amongst primary care healthcare professionals

Foot Care Prioritization Among Health Care Providers Treating Diabetic Patients in Saudi Arabia: A Survey-Based Study

BACKGROUND

Diabetic foot disease (DFD) is a significant complication associated with diabetes, characterized by the potential for progressive amputation of specific foot segments or the entire lower limb in the absence of timely identification of infection and intervention. The aim of our research is to evaluate the degree of importance given to foot care by healthcare professionals who are responsible for treating individuals with diabetes in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study utilized an online survey previously validated in Australia. The mean foot care prioritization score was used to identify the dummy variable for binary logistic regression analysis, which was used to identify predictors of foot care prioritization.

RESULTS

A total of 222 participants were involved in this study. Assessing for the risk of developing foot complications, visually inspecting feet for wounds, and providing or recommending footwear to prevent foot complications were the most commonly reported practices, accounting for 80.60% (n = 178), 76.10% (n = 169), and 75.20% (n = 167), respectively. The most commonly referred patients to a specialist tertiary multi-disciplinary foot care team were patients with ulcers in patients with absent foot pulses, ulcers with ascending cellulitis, and diabetic ulceration, accounting for 73.50% (n = 163), 71.60% (n = 159), and 66.70% (n = 148), respectively. The mean foot care prioritization score for the study participants was 54.1 (standard deviation: 11.7) out of 78 (69.4%), which demonstrates a moderately high level of foot care prioritization. Binary logistic regression analysis identified that healthcare professionals who are aged 35-44 years, those who have 5-10 years of experience, those who work at private hospitals, those who have a higher number of practice clinics per week, and those who have to manage a higher number of patients with diabetes in each clinic were more likely to prioritize foot care in their practices (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Our study found that healthcare professionals in Saudi Arabia place a moderate degree of emphasis on foot care. Healthcare professionals falling within the age range of 35-44 years, possessing 5-10 years of experience, employed at private hospitals, overseeing a greater number of practice clinics weekly, and managing a greater number of patients with diabetes per clinic exhibited a greater propensity to prioritize foot care within their respective practices. Policymakers should consider the integration of continuous glucose monitoring technologies, the establishment of standardized foot screening protocols, and the implementation of targeted educational programs for healthcare professionals.

A scoping review protocol to map the evidence on the risks and benefits of population based diabetic foot screening

Background: Diabetic foot ulcers are one of the most common lower extremity complications of diabetes, with the lifetime risk of a person developing a DFU estimated to be as high as 34%. It is recommended that those with diabetes receive an annual review of their feet, by a trained healthcare professional, to identify risk factors for ulceration and allow for subsequent risk stratification, patient education and provision of appropriate care to prevent ulceration and amputation. Internationally, while many countries have a diabetic foot care pathway, it is not a structured population health screening programme unlike other areas of preventive care for people with diabetes such as retinopathy screening. A structured diabetic foot screening pathway could allow for earlier identification of the at-risk foot. However, the introduction of any population screening programme should meet the Wilson and Jungner principles of screening. This paper presents a protocol for a scoping review of existing evidence on screening for the at-risk-foot against the Wilson and Junger principles. Methods: The scoping review will be conducted in line with the six-stage methodological framework by Arksey & O'Mally and the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) scoping review methodology. Medline (EBSCO), Scopus, ScienceDirect and EMBASE databases will be searched. Studies relating to the burden of diabetic foot ulcers, their pathophysiology and screening tests for peripheral neuropathy and peripheral artery disease, and screening programmes will be included. A data extraction tool will be used to facilitate a chronological narrative synthesis of results. Results: These will be reported in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Conclusion: This scoping review will evaluate and map the evidence surrounding diabetic foot ulcers using the Wilson and Jungner principles of screening as a framework.

What is the Lived Experience of the ‘Three Great Pathologies’ of Diabetic Foot Disease? An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of the Independent Thinking of Podiatrists in Diabetes Secondary Care

Researching the podiatrists’ lived experience of The Three Great Pathologies may help improve the quality of patient care. The aim of this research using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis approach is to report on insights relating to the Three Great Pathologies of diabetic foot disease – infection, ischaemia and amputation. To do this, data was collected from six New Zealand diabetes care Podiatrists. Three superordinate themes resulted with subordinate themes. They are compromised health status, podiatric challenges and best outcomes. The findings are firstly, patient education remains a priority; secondly, there is an unmet need for postgraduate podiatry education; and thirdly, early intervention is a key measure for reducing the influence of the Three Great Pathologies. This study demonstrates that focussing on a group of six specialist podiatrists contributes to new priorities of care for dealing with the Three Great Pathologies of diabetic foot disease.