Background: Management principles
Recommendations
| Identify and Treat the Cause | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Care of diabetic foot ulcers should always include assessment and management of vascular supply, infection and pressure redistribution. | Level of Evidence Not Assessed |
| Address patient-centered Concerns | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Educate the patient appropriately and encourage him/her to participate in planning and implementing care. | Level of Evidence Not Assessed |
| 3 | The diabetic foot care team is responsible for ensuring that the patient receives appropriate education. | Level of Evidence Not Assessed |
| Provide Local Wound Care | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Develop and implement a comprehensive diabetic foot ulcer program. | Level of Evidence Not Assessed |
| 5 | Monitor, evaluate and benchmark outcomes of diabetic foot ulcer programs to increase ulcer healing, reduce amputations and improve quality of life. | Level of Evidence Not Assessed |
| Provide Organizational Support | ||
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Assemble, train and support an interdisciplinary diabetic foot care team to manage diabetic foot ulcers. | Level of Evidence Not Assessed |
Background
Diabetic foot ulcers are complex wounds, with several potential causative or contributing factors, which may be local, systemic or extrinsic. Three key aspects of the assessment and management of diabetic foot ulcers are vascular supply, infection and pressure redistribution.Such complex clinical problems are best treated in the environment of a foot ulcer program using an interdisciplinary team that includes physicians, nurses and foot care experts. These teams require specific knowledge and skills competently to assess and manage diabetic foot ulcers and to integrate the best evidence for practice and expertise in wound care. Educating patients and involving them in both planning and implementing their care is empowering and can reduce ulcer recurrence. The interdisciplinary team managing foot ulcers plays an important role in educating patients about foot care and ulcer prevention. Managing foot ulcers effectively can significantly improve the quality of life of patients, families and caregivers.
A comprehensive diabetic foot ulcer program can increase healing of diabetic foot ulcers, improve quality of life and reduce amputation rates. Developing and implementing a successful diabetic foot ulcer program involves close collaboration between educators, practice leaders and administrators. Program outcomes should be monitored, evaluated and benchmarked to support a continuous quality improvement process.
References
| Essential Publications |
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| n/a |