What is the challenge your project is going to address and how does it connect to the theme of 'How can we improve across system boundaries?​

The diabetic foot pathway is complex, crossing specialty and system boundaries. By working together, as system partners, focussed on this one patient cohort, we believe that we can significantly improve the care given to diabetic foot patients within North West Surrey (NWS).

By working with the patients themselves and primary care on prevention and early detection and within secondary care on improved patient pathways and timely review, we believe that outcomes can be significantly improved.  Data from the last 2 years showed that delays in care resulted in late presentation of diabetic foot ulcers in 2/3 patients and subsequent prolonged treatment sometimes leading to amputation.

A key element to solving this problem and improving patient outcomes is education for all. Our project aspires to create an interactive educational learning experience for patients and clinicians, to raise awareness and reduce late presentation of diabetic foot problems for care.

What does your project aim to achieve?

For our diabetic foot patients we aim to:

• increase early detection
• reduce hospital admissions
• reduce  amputation rates
• improve self management and quality of life

For all clinicians involved in the diabetic foot pathway:

• increase knowledge and recognition of diabetic foot problems
• create a memorable e-learning experience
• increased awareness and use of the new integrated pathway
• ensure early and appropriate referral to the relevant specialist service

For our NWS population:

• promote wellbeing and prevention amongst our high-risk diabetic population
• ensure access for all to the patient specific e-learning modules
• reduce delays to treatment
• reduce the number of diabetic foot related amputations

How will the project be delivered?

Intervention 1: A pilot clinic run within the IV@Home clinic to provide timely review and podiatric intervention for patients attending for IV Antibiotics

Intervention 2: Developing a new interactive e-learning training experience for clinicians and an education tool for patients

Intervention 3: Developing a ‘foot champion’ app for early detection and information on correct pathways

Intervention 4: A research collaboration with a new thermal imaging technology to be used as a screening tool and as an indicator of infection levels and would healing

How is your project going to share learning?

This learning will be shared locally at a Diabetic Foot Educational event in the summer and more widely through publication and presentation at learning events.

We would like to be able tot publish our work in due course in order to share our learning and the steps we took to make the improvements.