Impact of COVID‐19 pandemic on foot care services in Ontario, Canada

Lu, Suzanne; McLaren, Ann-Marie; Pinsker, Ellie

doi:10.1186/s13047-022-00555-2

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…The COVID-19 pandemic was additionally associated with a reduction in outpatient foot clinic patient numbers, a rise in urgent foot health issues, and had a negative influence on the mental and emotional wellbeing of medical professionals. 23 While the majority of health services switched largely to virtual clinics during the pandemic, we continued to see patients with DFU face-to-face in our service, although we did have to reduce the number of patients seen per clinic. This usual face-to-face clinic experience may explain why most patients reported that they felt the pandemic had no impact on their diabetic foot care.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…During the COVID‐19 pandemic amputation rates increased considerably, with associated impacts – medically, psychosocially and economically; 22 an increase to which this delay in seeking medical advice potentially contributed. The COVID‐19 pandemic was additionally associated with a reduction in outpatient foot clinic patient numbers, a rise in urgent foot health issues, and had a negative influence on the mental and emotional wellbeing of medical professionals 23 . While the majority of health services switched largely to virtual clinics during the pandemic, we continued to see patients with DFU face‐to‐face in our service, although we did have to reduce the number of patients seen per clinic.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Anxiety and depression among patients attending a multidisciplinary foot clinic

et al. 2023

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Aim: Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are linked to morbidity, decreased mobility, and feelings of isolation, powerlessness and sadness. The aim of our study was to explore the prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms in adult patients with DFU.Method: We analysed questionnaires completed by patients with DFU attending our University Hospital Multidisciplinary Foot Clinic service over a one‐month period in March 2022. The patients had completed three questionnaires, comprising of questions relating to socio‐demographic status and care perceptions, the Patient Health Questionnaire‐9 (PHQ‐9) scale to assess depression, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD‐7) to assess anxiety.Results: Of the 60 patients who completed the questionnaires, 35% (n=21) reported anxiety symptoms and 40% (n=24), depressive symptoms. Individuals with comorbidities were three times more likely to report depression relative to those without any comorbidities (OR 3.3; 95% CI 1.13–12.56). Younger individuals (less than 50 years), were almost nine times more likely to report anxiety in comparison to those aged 60 years or more (adjusted OR 8.9; 95% CI 1.01–86.41), despite adjustment for confounding variables.Conclusion: The prevalence of depression and anxiety in this cohort of patients with DFU was low, but those who were affected reported moderate to severe symptoms. Younger individuals and those with comorbid conditions with DFU are more likely to experience an adverse impact on their mental health. This is a crucial factor to consider in the management of people undergoing DFU care. Strategies to reduce anxiety and/or depressive symptoms could impact both quality of life and wound healing. Copyright © 2023 John Wiley & Sons.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anxiety and depression among patients attending a multidisciplinary foot clinic

et al. 2023

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Temporal and regional trends in Canada for the epidemiology and management of diabetic foot ulcers

Park,

Ma,

Jia

et al. 2024

J Wound Care

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Objective: Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a common downstream consequence of diabetes and pose significant concern to the health of affected individuals. There are currently limited data available that detail the epidemiology and inpatient burden of DFUs in Canada. This study aims to provide updated data on the epidemiological and economic burden of DFUs in Canada between 2015 and 2019. Method: Using the Canadian Institute for Health Information Patient Cost Estimator the authors estimated, as the primary outcome, the number of DFU inpatient cases in Canada, the associated financial burden of these admissions on the Canadian healthcare system, physician compensation, and average patient length of hospitalisation. This analysis covered 12 Canadian jurisdictions and was stratified by age, sex, province and geographical region. The secondary outcome was to highlight temporal trends in the public health burden of DFUs by computing the average annual percentage change (AAPC; the weighted average of several annual percentage changes over multiple years) using Joinpoint (Surveillance Research Program National Cancer Institute, US) regression analysis. Results: The total number of cases, average length of hospitalisation and physician costs across Canada were highest for patients over ≥60 years of age. By region, the total number of cases and standardised physician costs were highest in Central Canada, followed by Western Canada, and subsequently Eastern and Northern Canada. In 2019, there were >1800 patients with DFUs admitted to Canadian acute care hospitals. Despite having the lowest number of inpatient admissions, Northern Canada had the highest associated inpatient costs, followed by Central, then Western and, lastly, Eastern Canada. Overall, mean inpatient costs remained stable over time across all age groups (AAPC 0.61; 95% confidence interval: –1.87–3.15), with an average cost of >$10,000 CAD per case. Average physician cost across all jurisdictions was approximately $1000 CAD per case, with the mean hospitalisation time being nine days. Conclusion: The findings of this study emphasise the dynamic nature of the economic and epidemiological DFU burden in Canada, underscoring the need for targeted interventions, multidisciplinary care and evidence-based resource allocation for the optimal management of diabetes and DFUs.

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Impact of COVID‐19 pandemic on foot care services in Ontario, Canada

Cited by 2 publications

References 21 publications

Anxiety and depression among patients attending a multidisciplinary foot clinic

Anxiety and depression among patients attending a multidisciplinary foot clinic

Temporal and regional trends in Canada for the epidemiology and management of diabetic foot ulcers

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