Organization of a Diabetic Foot Care Team

Diabetes is a multifaceted disease characterized by several comorbidities and complications. Patients with lower extremity complications, i.e., peripheral vascular disease and ulcerations, may also suffer from chronic renal disease, cardiac disease, or gastrointestinal disturbances which will all affect the management of their foot problem. For this reason, a multidisciplinary team to manage these comorbid complications is essential even when patients are admitted for seemingly unrelated conditions. This chapter will begin with a historical perspective of the team approach as developed at the New England Deaconess Hospital and will then proceed to the currently prevailing concepts and evidence for the establishment of a successful foot care unit to manage these diabetic lower extremity conditions.