Daily Remote Foot Temperature Monitoring Decreases Diabetic Complications, Research Finds
A study of patients at high risk of developing diabetic foot complications saw major amputations completely eliminated and all-cause hospital admissions drop by 52 percent after using a solution from a company called Podimetrics that remotely monitors the temperature of patients' feet every day through a cellular-connected SmartMat.
The research was published in BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care, a journal published in partnership with the American Diabetes Association.
The researchers examined the impact of once-daily foot temperature monitoring with Podimetrics for patients with recently healed diabetic foot ulcers and found that for every three study participants using Podimetrics over the year-long study, one hospital admission was avoided. They also noted a 40 percent reduction in emergency department visits, and more than 25 percent reduction in outpatient visits. Podimetrics said these findings demonstrate that the use of foot temperature monitoring for population health management represents a significant opportunity to reduce costs and improve health outcomes by avoiding unnecessary hospitalizations and healthcare utilization.
“Diabetic amputations are some of the most devastating and costliest complications afflicting people with diabetes. They have plagued some of our most vulnerable members and continue to cost the U.S. healthcare system billions of dollars,” said Timothy Swartz, D.P.M, a board-certified foot and ankle surgeon and a chief of podiatry with the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group, in a statement. “It’s a gamechanger to dramatically reduce these complications and do so in a way that lets our patients go about their lives and, more recently, remain home and safe from COVID-19.”
The research was conducted across four outpatient centers within Kaiser Permanente’s Mid-Atlantic States Region. Seventy-seven eligible participants were provided the Podimetrics SmartMat for once-daily remote foot temperature monitoring and were followed for one year. The researchers evaluated diabetic foot-related outcomes and associated resource utilization for each participant during three distinct and non-overlapping phases: the two years before study participation, the one year during the foot temperature monitoring intervention, and the period after the intervention ended through the date of the analysis.
Podimetrics remotely monitors the temperature of patients' feet every day through their cellular-connected SmartMat that seamlessly sends the data captured to Podimetrics’ care management team, catching early warning signs of diabetic foot complications weeks before they usually present clinically. By detecting any developing issues early on, simple interventions, such as walking less, can prevent more serious complications.
Early detection of diabetic foot complications is critical given the scale and associated costs. Lower-limb-related problems represent one-third of diabetes expenditures each year in the United States. At least half of patients who’ve had a diabetic amputation die within five years, and a single lower-limb amputation costs as much as $100,000.
Founded in 2011 by a physician and engineers from MIT and Harvard, Podimetrics is headquartered in Somerville, Mass., and is backed by Norwich Ventures, Scientific Health Development, Polaris Partners, and Rock Health.
