Using a multi-disciplinary clinic model to prevent diabetic foot ulcer recurrence

Diabetic Foot Ulcer (DFU) is the leading cause of lower extremity amputations in patients living with diabetes. The International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot defines a healed DFU as a DFU in remission since it has a recurrence rate comparable to that of cancer. Given that care for patients with diabetes and DFU can often be complex, requiring involvement of multiple different specialties and services, we implemented a multidisciplinary clinic in the Bronx, New York, that brings together podiatry, endocrinology, infectious disease, vascular surgery, behavioral health, and orthopedic shoe fitting services. We believe that by minimizing administrative burden, enabling real-time coordination, and providing comprehensive care, patients will have lower DFU recurrence, thereby also experiencing fewer DFU complications such as amputations, and less diabetes distress. We present these health outcome data after 1 year of implementing this multidisciplinary approach.

Kaishi Yang is a current third year medical student at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He went to New York University for his undergraduate where he studied biological science with minors in chemistry and philosophy. As a life-long New Yorker, he is passionate about mitigating health inequities in underrepresented communities and helping patients manage chronic health conditions.