Health economics of diabetic foot ulcer and recent trends to accelerate treatment

Abstract

Diabetic foot ulcer is a preventable complication of diabetes that imposes a significant burden on the community. It leads to amputation and increased disability if left untreated and thus bears profound implications on the individual, the community and the health system at large. Diabetic foot (DF) is an area of research interest where interdisciplinary researchers are trying to elucidate the best strategy to halt the progression of chronic diabetic wounds. It is an area where tissue engineering research is making a strong impact through the use of scaffolds and skin substitutes for diabetic wound healing. This review aims at discussing the geographical health economics, its impact on healing and factors influencing financial costs of DFU. The upcoming economic and clinical impacts due to disease outbreak such as the 2020 COVID-19 has also been discussed. Finally, it will discuss novel therapy available with emphasis on skin tissue engineering scaffolds with a cost-benefit analysis. The review aims at promoting better management of people with diabetes with emphasis on emerging treatments and technologies.

Keywords: Diabetic foot ulcer; Health economics; Management; Scaffolds; Skin substitutes.