News: Podiatric care lowers amputation risk in DFU patients, study suggests

A new study published in JAMA Open Network suggests that preemptive podiatric care decreases the risk of amputation in diabetic and kidney failure patients, according to JustCoding.

The study examined 14,935 Medicare beneficiaries with type 2 diabetes receiving dialysis from 2016 to 2019. The cohort was 55.4% male, 58.5% white, 35% Black, with a mean age of 59.3.

The researchers found that preemptive foot and ankle care was associated with an 11% lower likelihood of death and/or amputation and a 9% lower likelihood of major amputation (above or below knee) than those who did not receive such care.

Of the 14,935 patients whose claims were analyzed, 18.4% received foot and ankle care by podiatrists during the three months prior to diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) diagnosis.  

The care, which was represented by the presence of the CPT and HCPCS codes, was “associated with improvement in 3-year amputation-free survival, a reduced risk of major amputation, and a lower risk of the composite outcome of death and/or major amputation.”  

According to JustCoding, these findings attest that preventive care by trained podiatrists can lead to positive potential benefits and can help mitigate complications for patients with kidney failure and DFUs.  

Editor’s note: To read the JAMA Open Network study, click here. To read the JustCoding coverage, click here.