D-foot useful digital tool for screening of risk factors of diabetic foot ulcers

Individuals living with diabetes run an increased risk of developing diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), leading to high costs to society and reduced quality of life for the individual. Regular screening is important to avoid complications.

Roland Zügner et al conducted a study to evaluate patients' and clinicians' experiences of using a digital tool, the D-Foot, in the screening of risk factors for developing DFUs. The secondary aims were to investigate whether patients had had their feet examined by a nurse or doctor during the past year, had been referred to podiatry and whether patients had received information about self-care. The article has been published in Journal of Foot and Ankle Research.

The D-Foot software has seven functions:

1) a booking system to schedule patients' appointments,

2) a questionnaire to be answered by patients,

3) examinations to be completed by a healthcare professional, Additional files 2,

4) a system for generating a risk classification for each patient, Additional files 3,

5) a summary as a PDF report,

6) a database containing all registered information and

7) an administration part licensing the CPOs to obtain access to the program.

A prospective study was carried out, comprising 90 patients with diabetes visiting a Department of Prosthetics and Orthotics (DPO). Two Certified Prosthetists and Orthotists (CPOs) were included, and they assessed foot status and the risk of developing DFUs with the D-Foot software, prior to prescribing footwear. The quality of services at the DPO was assessed by the patients using the Orthotics and Prosthetics Users' Survey (OPUS). The CPOs answered the System Usability Scale (SUS) before and after the study to assess the usability of the D-Foot.

Key findings of the study:

• No patient had risk grade 1. One (1%) patient had risk grade 2, 78 (87%) patients had risk grade 3 and 11 (12%) patients had risk grade 4.

• Patients reported high levels of satisfaction on eight of ten OPUS items and the two items with lower scores were not related to the use of the D-Foot.

• The two CPOs reported levels above the mean regarding usability both before (77.5 and 90) and after (70 and 97.5) using the D-Foot.

The authors concluded that – 'Patients with diabetes expressed a high level of satisfaction with the services when their feet were examined following the routine in the D-Foot software prior to the provision of footwear. The CPOs felt that the D-Foot system was usable. Several comments were made by patients and CPOs and will support the future development of and improvements to the D-Foot software. The current study revealed that not all patients in need had access to preventive interventions such as podiatry and information about self-care.'

Further reading:

Experiences of using a digital tool, the D-foot, in the screening of risk factors for diabetic foot ulcers

Roland Zügner, Gustav Jarl et al

Journal of Foot and Ankle Research (2022) 15:90

https://doi.org/10.1186/s13047-022-00594-9