Orthofeet Launches Educational Campaign to Improve Foot Health Among Diabetes Patients

• By Cindy Horbrook
• Jan 30, 2014

Adults with diabetes are vulnerable to a condition called neuropathy, characterized by a loss of sensation in their feet. For these patients, a minor irritation or cut can go unnoticed and develop into a blister, ulcer or much more serious problem, leading to amputations. Clinical studies show that ongoing preventive foot care and therapeutic footwear can help patients maintain their foot health.

That’s why Orthofeet, a designer and manufacturer of specialty footwear for diabetes patients, is partnering with the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) to develop a grassroots educational campaign that promotes foot health for adults with diabetes.

“Our alliance with the AADE supports our corporate mission to help adults with diabetes maintain their mobility and lead healthy, active lives,” said Steve Wasik,

CEO, Orthofeet, in a statement. “Diabetes educators are on the front lines of caring for diabetes patients–and are uniquely suited to help prevent common foot health complications that may compromise quality of life for those patients.”

The educational curriculum, developed under the guidance of Dennis Janisse, C.Ped, Director of Scientific Affairs, Orthofeet, in collaboration with the AADE, is designed to ‘educate the educators’ on the role of daily foot care and therapeutic footwear in maintaining mobility. Orthofeet will then provide educators with resources to teach healthy foot care practices to their patients at hospitals, senior centers and other institutions. Educators will also be able to partner with local authorized Orthofeet dealers to help qualified patients obtain therapeutic shoes covered by Medicare.

“Our network is excited about the Orthofeet partnership as it addresses a major need gap in patient care,” said Bill Wald, vice president corporate relations and development, AADE. “There are many teaching tools to help patients understand how to monitor glucose levels or eat a healthy diet–but there are very few resources that communicate the importance of daily foot care for this population.”

“Working closely with the AADE network, we’re confident we can make a difference in improving foot health among diabetes patients,” said Wasik. “Our goal is to help educators empower their diabetes patients to take charge of their mobility as part of the management of their condition, making foot health a daily priority.”

Diabetes affects 25.8 million people, according to 2011 data from the Centers for Disease Control. More than 60% of nontraumatic lower-limb amputations occur in people with diabetes. Severe forms of diabetic nerve disease are a major contributing cause of lower-extremity amputations.