The Australian Research Repository showcases published Australian research on diabetes-related foot disease.
All repository entries available focus on diabetes-related foot disease, are peer reviewed and one author has an Australian affiliation.
Diabetes-related foot disease has been labelled as the world’s ‘least known major health problem’ in the Medical Journal of Australia.
Despite this, there remains a serious deficiency is the research investment in DFD which is disproportionally low in relation to the DFD burden. DFD causes ~60% of the global diabetes disability burden and ~33% of all diabetes healthcare costs yet receives <0.2% of all diabetes research funding awarded.
We recently published a study that identified the research priorities for Australian DFD stakeholders. These priority research questions should guide future national research agendas, funding and projects to improve diabetes-related foot disease burdens in Australia and globally.
The time is right to properly invest in diabetes-related foot disease research and development.
Working together to make a difference.
DFA hosted a special mini symposium in 2023 where 90 multi-disciplinary health professionals, researchers and industry came together to discuss:
- Where national DFD research is at currently
- Lessons and learnings from our international experts on collaborative research programs
- What’s needed next and how to get involved
The outcomes from this session will be released soon. As we work towards bringing the DFD community together to conduct research that makes a real difference and supports new innovations in clinical care delivery.
At the heart (or foot) of it, research aims to identify new treatments, prevention, and improve care. It can lead to new discoveries, development of new tools and procedures or highlight important trends and risks. Research can also help health care professionals to follow the most effective methods of care.
In 2020, DFA conceived a study to determine the priority research questions according to Australian stakeholders involved in diabetes-related foot health and disease. A multi-disciplinary team comprising of DFA Steering Committee members and external experts were brought together for the project, with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples and consumer representation. In 2020 and 2021, DFA in partnership with La Trobe University conducted a study to determine what a broad range of people thought were the most important questions about diabetes-related foot health and disease that should be answered by research.
We have now published the finding from a major research project investigating priority research questions according to Australian stakeholders involved in diabetes-related foot health and disease.
