Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Remote Foot Temperature Monitoring for Prevention of Amputation in a Large Integrated Health Care System

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a serious complication of diabetes that can lead to amputation. Remote foot temperature monitoring (RTM) is a technology that uses sensors to track foot temperature and send alerts to healthcare providers if there is a significant change in temperature. This could potentially help to identify DFUs early and prevent amputation. 

Methods:  The study conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with a history of DFU who were enrolled in RTM between 2019 and 2021. The study compared the risk of lower-extremity amputation (LEA), all-cause hospitalization, and death between patients who were enrolled in RTM and those who were not. 

Results:  The study found that RTM was not associated with a reduced risk of LEA or all-cause hospitalization. However, RTM was associated with a reduced risk of death. 

The study did not find that RTM was effective in preventing LEA or all-cause hospitalization. However, it did find that RTM was associated with a reduced risk of death. Further research is needed to determine the optimal use of RTM in the prevention of diabetic foot complications. 

Here are some additional details from the study: 

• The study included 924 patients who were enrolled in RTM and 2,757 patients who were not enrolled. 
• The mean age of the participants was 65 years old. 
• The majority of the participants were male (62%). 
• The majority of the participants had type 2 diabetes (92%). 
• The median follow-up time was 2 years. 

The study authors concluded that RTM was not effective in preventing LEA or all-cause hospitalization, but it was associated with a reduced risk of death. Further research is needed to determine the optimal use of RTM in the prevention of diabetic foot complications.