VA is making broader efforts to confront diabetes. It will begin regional implementation of the Podimetrics Mat, a new medical device that has the potential to prevent limb loss in veterans with diabetes.
This technology is now being used at 15 VA medical centers. It uses thermographic monitoring of a patient’s feet to detect early onset of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). DFUs often lead to limb loss if not detected early.
It is known as thermal imaging and this noninvasive test involves no radiation. It uses a special camera to measure skin temperature. This allows clinicians to develop plans for preventing added deterioration of a patient’s health.
VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said that VA’s early adoption of cutting-edge, innovative solutions to combat a disease that impacts so many veterans shows that VA is aiming to be a leader in health care innovation.
The study showed the in-home foot-temperature monitoring device was able to detect 97 percent of DFUs as early as five weeks before the onset of symptoms, with 86 percent of participants using the mat an average of three days per week. With more medical centers offering use of the mat, VA has continued to observe similar outcomes.
One VA facility found 84% of veteran use the mat almost daily. This allows preventive clinical interventions to take place.
The mat is available to all veterans across the country through their local Prevention of Amputations for Veterans Everywhere clinic providers. In addition, VA’s Veterans Health Administration Innovation Ecosystem is implementing a pilot program of the mats at VA facilities in the southeast, where some of the highest DFU rates exist.
Thus, VA will be able to further evaluate best practices and optimize care models and improve the effectiveness of the technology in the VA health care system. Last year, VA treated more than 75,000 cases DFUs across the country.