Diabetologists
For diabetologists who already have the patients and want to stop losing them to preventable foot complications.
Key Takeaways
- Diabetologists already see every at risk foot, usually before it ulcerates.
- Screening identifies the small group who account for most amputations.
- Most foot care is medical rather than surgical, so it fits an existing practice.
- Surgical cases are referred through the network rather than lost entirely.
Why Is a Diabetologist Ideally Placed?
Because the timing is right. Patients attend regularly for years before any foot problem appears, which is exactly when screening changes outcomes. A neuropathy test taking two minutes identifies the patients who will otherwise present with an ulcer three years later.
At present, most of those feet are never examined. Shoes come off only after something has already gone wrong.
What Does the Service Involve?
- Annual foot screening built into routine diabetes review
- Risk categorisation determining follow up frequency
- Callus management and preventive foot care
- Wound care for early ulcers before they deepen
- Offloading and footwear prescription
- Referral pathways for surgical and vascular cases
How Much of This Is Surgical?
Less than most physicians expect. The bulk of diabetic foot work is assessment, wound care, offloading and footwear, all of which sit comfortably within medical practice with training. Genuinely surgical cases form a minority and are referred through the network.
That distribution is why a diabetologist can build a strong foot service without operating at all.
What Does It Change for Your Practice?
Patients stop leaving. Currently a foot problem means referral outward, often to someone who then manages the diabetes too. Retaining that care keeps the relationship and, more importantly, means the foot is managed by someone who understands the metabolic picture.
Training runs through EDFC Academy, and clinical support continues afterwards.
What Are the Commercial Terms?
Adding a foot service to an established diabetes practice requires modest setup compared with a standalone centre. Terms are discussed individually and confirmed in writing.