title: BE SMART: strategies for foot care and prevention of foot complications in patients with diabetes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diabetic foot ulcers and lower extremity amputations are common complications of diabetes mellitus that are associated with substantial morbidity, loss of quality of life, disability, and a high social and economic burden. The implementation of strategies to prevent these complications is a key aspect of diabetes care.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this article is to provide an overview of the available evidence on preventive diabetic foot care.
  
  
  METHODS
  Literature review.
  
  
  METHODS
  Narrative review based on a thorough search of previous relevant studies, systematic reviews, and clinical guidelines on diabetic foot care published in English.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We describe diabetic foot care strategies that can be categorized within defined domains for the purpose of helping clinicians to remember them. We use the mnemonic "BE SMART" (Be aware of the risk factors, Educate patients and health providers, Structured clinical assessment, Metabolic evaluation and management, Assessment of Risk, and Team care) to organize these domains.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Diabetic foot ulcers and lower extremity amputations are potentially preventable complications. Clinicians taking care of patients with diabetes should know, understand, and remember the multiple aspects of diabetic foot care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This review can be used as a reference source for those interested in the care of diabetic foot. It highlights the importance of risk factor recognition, education, a structured clinical and metabolic evaluation, and also the importance of assigning patients a risk category that can help guiding multidisciplinary management efforts.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism and Nutrition, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Oscar L
authors.initials: OL
authors.lastname: Morey-Vargas
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism and Nutrition, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA Smith.Steven@mayo.edu.
authors.forename: Steven A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000671:Amputation, Surgical; D017719:Diabetic Foot / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy*; D019468:Disease Management; D006801:Humans; D008660:Metabolism; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Diabetes; diabetic foot; foot ulcers; lower extremity amputations