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Clinical Research
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Evaluation of a new acrylic dressing for the management of partial-thickness wounds Alipasha Rassouli, BSc(Hon), Jeremy Adams, BASc (Hon), James Mahoney, MD, FRCSC, FACS, Laura Teague, RN, MN, ACNP A diabetic foot ulcer is a serious complication of diabetes that can cause substantial burden for patients and public health system. Recent evidence has shown that socioeconomic status (SES) is an important health determinant in the development of diabetes. However, no formal study has investigated the relationship between socioeconomic status, disease risk factors and health service utilization. The purpose of this study is to identify trends between socioeconomic status and patterns of healthcare access and utilization regarding diabetic foot care at an urban inner city acute care hospital. Through a search of the literature, an 85-question survey was created focusing on risk factors and health services shown to influence outcomes of diabetic foot ulcers. The questionnaire was administered to 29 patients with diabetic foot ulcers at Wound, Chiropody, and High Risk Foot Clinics. Each patient in the study was placed in a group based on their level of education and another based on before-tax income. Demographically, use of primary and specialized care were approximately equal across education and income levels. However, patients with a post-secondary education demonstrated higher use of preventative foot care services and procedures than patients without a post-secondary degree. Our results suggest that educational preparation may be more significant than income in determining preventative service use at the primary and specialty levels. This highlights a need for general practitioners and specialists to ensure that all patients with diabetes are informed of the importance of preventative screening and treatment. Further investigations should be conducted to substantiate these preliminary findings. . Ramsey SD, Newton K, Blough D, et al. Incidence, outcomes, and cost of foot ulcers in patients with diabetes. Diabetes Care. 1999;22:382Ð387 1994 National Health Interview Survey. Available at: http://www.agingsociety.org/agingsociety/pdf/diabetes.pdf..Green LW, Kreuter MW. Health Promotion Planning: An Educational and Ecological Approach, Third Edition. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing, 1999 Reiber G. Epidemiology of the Diabetic Foot. In: The Diabetic Foot. Levin M, OÕNeal L, Bowker J (eds). Boston, MA: Mosby Year Book, 1993 .. |
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