Self-reported evaluation of diabetic foot care and priorities in a group of health care professionals from diabetic foot services in tuscany – a diabetic foot valley survey

What is it about?

Aim To get baseline information on critical aspects on diabetic foot (DF) care in Tuscany, we surveyed the health care professionals (HCPs) working in the public regional health service (RHS), as part of the Diabetic Foot Valley Tuscany project. Methods A 12-item questionnaire, was delivered, focusing on the amount of their time dedicated to DF care and their interest and sense of adequacy toward DF. They were then asked to indicate the critical aspects of DF care and rank them according to the level of priorities. Results 61 out of 97 (62.9%) HCPs took part in the survey. DF care represented more than half of the workload of nearly 60% HCPs and their interest was significantly higher (p<0.001) than self-reported professional adequacy/competence, and it was correlated (p<0.001) with years of work for physicians. Lack of technical skills, poor knowledge of guidelines and need for professional upgrade were the most frequently selected criticalities from a clinical point of view, while lack of dedicated beds, spaces and staff were the ones from an organisational perspective. The ranking of the clinical aspects of DF care in need of upgrading assigned urgencies, infection and ischemia management the highest priority, while for the organisational aspects the priorities were revascularisation, local surgery and Charcot’s foot. Conclusions DF represents a relevant aspect of the activity of the public network of diabetology centres in Tuscany, and the interests of the HCPs is not paralleled by a sense of professional adequacy, especially for practical skills and organisational issues. This is particularly true for the aspects of DFS related to the acute manifestation of the disease, which are considered priorities when HCPs were asked to rank their needs in terms of upgrade and reorganisation. Implication for clinical practice The information gathered with this survey will be instrumental in planning and realising the amelioration projects that the Diabetic Foot Valley Tuscany project aims to realise for improving the quality of management of DF patients in our region.

Featured Image