title: Effectiveness of a comprehensive diabetes lower-extremity amputation prevention program in a predominantly low-income African-American population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare patient outcomes 1 year before and 1 year after enrollment in a comprehensive diabetes lower-extremity amputation prevention program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Outcome data were obtained on 197 patients enrolled in the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Diabetes Foot Program, which provides foot care to a predominantly low-income African-American population in Louisiana. Data were obtained using a structured interview administered by a registered nurse. Recordings were made of number of days with an open foot ulcer, number of times hospitalized for a foot problem, number of days spent in the hospital for a foot problem, number of visits to the emergency room for a foot problem, number of times an antibiotic was prescribed for a foot problem, number of all foot operations, number of lower-extremity amputations, and number of missed workdays for a foot problem. Data were obtained on all patients at the initial visit and at the 1-year follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analysis of data showed a reduction in foot-related ulcer days (-49%), hospitalizations, (-89%), hospital days (-90%), emergency room visits (-81%), antibiotic prescriptions, (-57%), foot operations (-87%), lower-extremity amputations (-79%), and missed workdays (-70%) after 1 year of comprehensive foot care compared with the 1-year period before treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This single cohort outcome study showed a large reduction in foot-related complications after the first year of comprehensive preventive foot care.
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Foot Program, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Baton Rouge 70806, USA. cpatou@lsuhsc.edu
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Patout
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Birke
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Horswell
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: F P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Cerise
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American; D000671:Amputation, Surgical; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003153:Community Health Services; D017719:Diabetic Foot / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D016523:Foot Ulcer / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007182:Income; D008145:Louisiana / Q000453:epidemiology; D011203:Poverty; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome