Without adequate — and common — knowledge and guidance on the part of patients, healthcare professionals and health-policy decision makers, Canadian healthcare systems are unable to adequately protect patients with diabetes from preventable foot ulceration and amputations. In Canada, emphasis tends to be on treatment rather than prevention and early intervention, which means many complications that could be prevented are not. To address this problem, Wounds Canada and the Canadian Diabetic Foot Task Force created the Pathway for Preventing and Managing Diabetic Foot Complications. This document outlines the key components of preventative care and wound management. These concepts are presented in a way that is easy to read and understand for all Canadians, regardless of their healthcare background. This tool is also helpful in Wounds Canada’s advocacy work, as it provides a framework to which provincial and territorial governments can align their policies toward improvements that can be seen in patient quality of life, as well as financial savings for the healthcare systems.
