The management of diabetic foot ulcers in Danish hospitals is not optimal

INTRODUCTION: The diabetic foot is a complicated health issue which ideally involves several different specialists to ensure the most effective treatment. The Danish Health and Medicines Authority recently published a national guideline to address the implementation of multidisciplinary teams in the treatment. The objective of this study was to describe the treatment practices at the time the guidelines were launched.

METHODS: A questionnaire-based survey was conducted among Danish hospital departments working with diabetic feet. All public departments were invited by e-mail to participate and the participant answering the questionnaire was identified as knowledgeable about the department's procedures on treatment of diabetic feet. Only one questionnaire per department was allowed.

RESULTS: A total of 62 questionnaires were sent out. We achieved a response rate of ~37% (n = 23). Respondents (n = 13) were mostly orthopaedic surgeons. A classification system of the diabetic foot was rarely or never used, and eight respondents (42%) reported having a multidisciplinary team in accordance with the national guidelines. 73% of the respondents performed some form of surgical intervention on diabetic feet, mainly minor procedures.

CONCLUSION: The study demonstrated that several areas of treatment practices relating to the diabetic foot had potential for improvement as they did not adhere to national Danish guidelines. A follow-up survey, allowing time for local implementation, seems warranted.