Aim: To ascertain whether patients with type 2 diabetes are screened for diabetic foot, and to analyze the factors related to patients and centers associated to performance of such screening.
Material and methods: A multicenter, epidemiological, cross-sectional study was conducted. The clinical records of 443 patients with type 2 diabetes monitored at Primary Care for at least 12 months were reviewed. Demographic and healthcare variables and characteristics of the primary care center were recorded.
Results: In the previous year, 51.2% of patients had been trained on foot self-care, 56.4% had undergone foot inspection, 39.5% had been examined with a monofilament, and palpation of peripheral pulses and measurement of the ankle-brachial index were performed in 45.8 and 10.1% of patients, respectively. Diabetic foot screening (inspection, monofilament testing, and palpation of peripheral pulses) was performed in 37% of study patients. Ulcer risk stratification was done in 12.4% of patients. A significant association was found between diabetic foot screening and presence of foot deformities (P<.001), history of neuropathy (P=.005), and history of peripheral artery disease (P<.05). Screening was also associated to some characteristics of the center, such as reception of information about goal achievement (P<.001) and economic incentives for goal attainment (P<.001).
Conclusions: Compliance with diabetic foot screening and ulcer risk stratification in patients with type 2 diabetes in Primary Care was poor.
Keywords: Atención Primaria; Diabetes; Diabetic foot; Pie diabético; Primary Care.
Copyright © 2013 SEEN. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.