When diabetes sufferers consult with podiatrists, they are less likely to need amputations, new research shows.A study by researchers at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in Chicago finds that diabetics who had had at least one visit with a podiatrist prior to receiving a foot ulcer diagnosis had a 15% lower risk of amputation and were 17% less likely to require hospitalization
Rosalind Franklin calls the study the first of its kind. Nearly 29,000 patients with diabetes, ages 18 to 64, were included in the analysis.
“Podiatrists are detecting conditions that can lead to amputation; that’s just what we do,” said study co-author James Wrobel in a news release announcing the research’s results.
The study demonstrates the need for more coordinated diabetes patient care, Wrobel also said. In 10 states, however, Medicaid programs do not reimburse for podiatric care, according to the news release. Arizona will join the list effective Oct. 1.
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