Comprehensive Diabetes Lower Extremity Amputation Prevention Program

The Comprehensive Diabetes – Lower Extremity Amputation Prevention (CD-LEAP) program provides foot care to patients with diabetes to reduce the development of foot complications, the rate of hospitalization, and lower extremity amputations. The Lower Mississippi Delta Region, including rural counties in Mississippi and Louisiana, has been shown to be at extreme risk for diabetes complications as well as poor access and parity in health care. The program includes annual foot screening, ongoing patient education, proper footwear selection, daily foot self inspection, foot care, and custom molded footwear. CD-LEAP sponsors training programs and seminars to health professionals to develop the required foot care skills in the program. The initiative networks with community health centers and the state hospital system to provide access and eliminate disparity of care to under-served populations.

The goal of the Comprehensive Diabetes – Lower Extremities Amputation Prevention initiative is to improve foot care and reduce lower extremity amputations among people with diabetes.

Individuals who participate in the CD-LEAP program show a greater reduction in foot related complications. After one year of comprehensive footcare, participants reduced foot-related ulcer days (-49%), hospitalizations (-89%), hospital days (-90%), emergency room visits (-81%), antibiotic prescriptions (-57%), foot operations (-87%), lower extremity amputations (-79%) and missed workdays (-70%) when compared with the year prior to the initiative.