Evaluation of a screening and prevention programme for diabetic foot complications

Foot complications in diabetes can be decreased by preventive measures. The authors evaluated the current diabetic foot screening and prevention programme of the diabetes outpatient clinic of their university hospital, by assessing the presence of risk factors for the development of foot disorders and the preventive measures taken.Fifty (50) diabetic patients not known to have foot complications were selected at random. Risk factors and preventive measures were inventarised with the Coleman risk-categorization system and the Preventive Measures Scale, respectively.Sixty per cent (60%) of the patients were at risk of developing diabetic foot complications. The preventive measures were low in these patients. Patient knowledge was insufficient and behaviour even worse. Basal preventive shoe adaptations were absent in most patients at risk. No relation between risk category and the preventional status was found.Cross-sectional examination at a university outpatient clinic showed serious risk profiles for foot complications, which were not balanced by the application of generally accepted preventive measures. At the outpatient clinic. screening should be optimised.