Clinical and Economic Impact of Telemedicine in Management of Diabetes Foot Ulcer in Rural/Remote areas of North Queensland: A Pilot Study

INTERVENTION: Twenty five diabetic foot ulcer subjects residing in rural areas will receive 20‐minute standard of wound care (sharp debridement and normal saline dressing). It will be administered by a local nurse fortnightly for 3 months in liaison with podiatrist and endocrinologist at The Townsville Hospital linked via dedicated T1 line on the Queensland Health telemedicine to advice on ulcer healing and opinion on treatment of wound infection respectively. Wound ulcer healing will be monitored electronically using a specialized 3‐D camera. CONDITION: Diabetic Foot Ulcer PRIMARY OUTCOME: Partial or complete closure of foot ulcer will be assessed using specialized 3‐D camera. SECONDARY OUTCOME: Proportion of participants who achieve a significant (20%) reduction of serum levels of interleukin 6 (IL‐6) INCLUSION CRITERIA: Patients meeting the following inclusion criteria will be eligible to enter the study: 1. Diabetic foot ulcer of full‐thickness skin defect requiring more than 14 days of healing. 2. Lives >50 km from The Townsville Hospital. 3. Exclusion of other etiologies of foot ulcer.