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New diabetic foot apps launched for patients and podiatrists

Friday 9th December 2016
Two new apps have been launched that focus on spotting the signs of diabetic foot ulcers. Image: naruedom via iStock
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Two new diabetic foot apps have been launched in the UK: one that is designed to help podiatrists and other healthcare professionals with diagnosis, and one that is intended to assist patients in self-managing their condition.

Both apps have been developed by the College of Podiatry, along with advice from Foot in Diabetes UK and the British Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists. They also follow best practice guidelines set out by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network.

The app intended for healthcare workers provides information on the different risks that patients with diabetic foot could be facing. Podiatrists can even conduct a screening using the app, emailing a PDF copy of the image to a patient's GP. The scan can then be deleted immediately, meaning there will be no confidential information sharing issues.

Meanwhile, the app designed for patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes to use themselves includes a series of information on what their annual foot screening appointment will be like and what they can expect from their results.

Users can also access videos on the best types of socks and shoes to wear, how to spot potential symptoms of diabetic foot and general advice on looking after their feet via the app, which can be downloaded from the App Store.

In addition, patients will be able to view - or hear, if they are visually impaired - information on their personal risk profile for diabetic foot, alongside accessing emergency contact details via the app should their condition worsen.

Figures from NICE show that ten per cent of patients with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes will develop a diabetic foot ulcer at some point during their lifetime, with these ailments accounting for 80 per cent of the lower limb amputations performed on diabetic patients.

Written by Angela Newbury

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