Saving Limbs and Lives-Sensing and Monitoring Technologies for the Diabetic Foot

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) represent one of the most challenging complications associated with diabetes. One in three people with diabetes develop foot ulcers, and many cases require amputation. The economic costs and five-year mortality associated with DFU are worse than those for both breast and prostate cancer. Primary prevention of DFU is the key to addressing this health issue. However, prevention is challenging because of the complexity of health behaviours that lead to most cases of diabetes, as well as specific foot factors (including diabetic peripheral neuropathy), making patient self-monitoring difficult. Major opportunities exist for sensing and monitoring technologies that can help support patients to better manage their foot health and health behaviours, aspects which are important in diabetes management and work towards preventing DFU and subsequent amputations. This Special Issue will address topic areas that support diabetes patients in screening, measuring, and monitoring key parameters and foot health indicators, with the examples of data signals including foot temperature, pressure, blood flow/pressure, humidity, visual images/scans, and other technologies that are markers of health behaviours impacting foot health. This can include early stage engineering, information communication and technology development, or later-stage applied patient trials.