Refer to Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN 2010) Management of Diabetes section 11 Management of diabetic foot disease. The document covers standards of care for risk stratification/triage, patient education, preventative footwear and orthoses, management of active foot disease, painful diabetic neuropathy, and a checklist for provision of information for individuals/carers in relation to foot disease in diabetes.
A tool (NZSSD – PodSIG 2014), such as the one recommended by SIGN, has been adapted for use in the NZ context by the New Zealand Society for Study of Diabetes (NZSSD) – Podiatry Special Interest Group (PodSIG) (2011) with permission of the Scottish Foot Action Group (SFAG). This tool acts as a national guide for developing integrated diabetes foot care pathways and to facilitate standardised access to care for people with diabetes related foot complications. This tool is being adopted by many District Health Boards (DHBs) and primary care podiatry programmes: www.nzssd.org.nz/healthprofs/Primary%20diabetes%20foot%20screening%20and%20referral%20pathways%2005%2009%2013%20with%20intro.pdf
The Best Practice Advocacy Centre New Zealand (BPAC) (2010) Screening and Management of ‘The Diabetic Foot’ provides additional information for primary health care settings.
Additionally, the New Zealand Primary Care Handbook 2012, the Ministry of Health (2008) Diabetes and cardiovascular disease quality improvement plan and the Ministry of Health/DHB Allied health services podiatry for people with at risk/high risk feet Tier level three service specification (and Tier 1,2) provide further information.
