Australian diabetic foot ulcer minimum dataset dictionary

Foot ulcers are one of the most feared complication s of diabetes. From the patient’s perspective the burden of disease is high due to factors such a s loss of mobility, pain, (fear of) amputation, the need for frequent outpatient visits, hospitalisation and invasive procedures. The longer the ulcer persists, the more quality of life is lost. From a health care perspective these patients use a lot of resources, and need expensive, multidisciplinary care with many disciplines involved. For health care workers it is frequently difficult to understand all the different aspects that have to be addressed in order to effectively treat these patients. In the last decades much progress has been made in this area. With relative simple tools, as for instance described in the Guidance documents of the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF), each patient should be systematically evaluated. Subsequently, we can define who is at risk for a poor outcome, who needs urgent treatment, what treatment should be offered and which disciplines should be involved . Several studies have shown that a multidisciplinary approach can achieve a 45-85% reduction in amputation rates and in several countries amputation rates are progressively going down. But, even in well performing countries still too many patients lose part of their leg. We clearly need initiatives to improve the quality of care in this area and the Australian Diabetic Foot Ulcer Minimum Dataset is a major step forward that can help to reduce the burden of disease. The implementation of this easy-to-use document can have a major impact on the quality of care in Australia as it was developed using the evidence based approach of the IWGDF and in consultation with relevant stakeholders. By developing a common language for all the different disciplines involved, standardises evaluation of ea ch patient, defining process and outcome benchmarks, each participating clinic will have ins truments to improve the care for its patients.