News: New NIH project aims to reduce amputations through digital health tools
The “Saving Limbs, Saving Lives” (SL2) project, recently announced by the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA), aims to reduce the number of leg amputations in the United States through providing access to a number of digital health tools. Targeting the estimated 150,000 annual lower extremity amputations, the national campaign will give members of the APMA access to a digital health platform made by CarePICS with wound care management guidelines and best practices, as well as virtual access to specialists, HealthLeaders reported.
The project references studies estimating that as much as 60% of lower extremity amputations could have been prevented, and hopes to close four critical care gaps in the wound treatment process:
- Imprecise assessment and measurement using manual tools
- Inadequate and inconsistent documentation
- Inefficient follow-up care and communication
- Fragmented care coordination between initial care providers and vascular specialists
“When we look broadly at the medical histories of patients who have undergone lower extremity amputations, the evidence reveals that only about half have ever had a vascular evaluation or were referred to a vascular specialist,” said Timothy Yates, MD, of Palm Vascular Centers in Florida, in a press release. “Their condition simply progressed to a stage where the limb could not be salvaged. This is exactly the scenario SL2 is helping avoid. Using the CarePICS app, podiatrists can quickly and easily request an electronic consult with a vascular specialist, then convert it to an electronic referral when it's indicated that the patient needs a vascular evaluation.”
The SL2 project will run through June 2024 as part of a three-phrased approach, after which the organizers will evaluate the results and determine whether to make the tool permanent or not.
Editor’s note: To read HealthLeaders’ coverage of this story, click here. To read more about the APMA project, click here.