Availability of Healthcare

The need for better treatment for diabetes and its comorbidities (other health problems created by diabetes) is the same everywhere, but the treatment you may receive and your ability to practice preventative behavior may differ. That’s because the treatment you may expect for diabetes is dependent upon your latitude and longitude.

For example, if you live in India and you walk the streets in ill-fitting shoes or open sandals, your risk for trauma leading to infection and amputation is far greater than in the United States. If in your community people are not allowed to wear shoes inside the house due to religious beliefs, you increase the risk of cutting or hurting your foot—especially if you have no feeling in your foot to let you know you have injured it. If you live in European countries the level of care that podiatrists can provide is very limited in comparison to the United States. Podiatrists can provide care for superficial foot problems that include corns, calluses, nails, and biomechanical problems, but are not able to do surgery in the deep tissues of the foot. If you need that type of foot surgery such as for bone or soft tissue infections, a podiatrist may not be able to care for your foot problem, and it may be a challenge to find a physician or surgeon who can help you.

Even if you are fortunate enough to live where healthcare is available, you may not be able to afford it. Therefore, I hope the message of this book will reach the political arena as well as the business decision makers in the healthcare industry, and motivate people to stand up and lobby for universal healthcare benefits and better treatment facilities. Although the care for diabetes in the United States is better than in most countries, there is still a great need for improvement when it comes to cooperation between primary care physicians (PCP), diabetes specialists, podiatrists or foot surgeons, pharmacists, nurses, insurance companies, and caregivers. There needs to be a one-stop system where the goal is to treat the whole patient and not just the symptoms present during that particular visit. This requires each healthcare professional to know what the other players on your team are up to.

In my book Keep the Legs You Stand On, I address these issues and offer solutions. Reserve your copy of my book on amputation prevention at a 30% discount before it goes to market.

-drhinkes