Could “Foot Selfies” Help Prevent Diabetic Foot Problems?

You’re probably familiar with what a selfie is, but you probably aren’t aware that a new version of the picture could help to prevent problems associated with diabetes.

According to researchers out of the University of Southern California, the “foot selfie” may soon become a helpful tool in identifying potential diabetic foot issues so that they can be treated before they become worse. As we’ve documented on the blog in the past, conducting regular foot checks is important if you have diabetes to help spot signs of a problem. The only issue is, checking our feet thoroughly isn’t always an easy task.

That idea led Mark Swerdlow, a fourth-year medical student at USC, to build a simple 3D printable device that allows patients to take standardized photos of the entire bottom surface of their own feet. Best of all, the accompanying phone app works through voice commands, so patients don’t need to bend over to reach the photo button. They can simply get their foot in the right position and command the app to take a picture with the sound of their voice.

“The point of it is to be a very simple tool that essentially anybody can use,” Swerdlow said of the “Foot Selfie System.”

So Far, So Good

The Foot Selfie system consists of a heel platform, a smartphone holder and a base that connects the pair via telescoping rods. The accompanying app, available on iOS and Android, shows people how to take voice-activated photos, which can then be viewed or sent to a protected storage server to be reviewed by healthcare providers. And if a patient forgets to take their foot selfie, the app reminds them after 24 hours has passed.

In a small group study, 15 diabetic patients tried out the Foot Selfie System. Participants were asked to take an image of their feet daily for an average of five months, and it each session took about five minutes. Images were viewed by physicians on a weekly basis, and they were able to identify seven new wounds and 26 new pre-ulcerative lesions. Moreover, patients seemed to enjoy the foot selfies, scoring the device a 10 out of 10 on ease of use. Every patient also answered “true” when asked if “the system is a useful tool in monitoring my feet,” and in response to the question “How useful does this system seem to you in helping to prevent foot ulcers,” the median score rose from 8 at enrollment to 9.5 at six months.Additional findings from the study include:

• Six months after the study began, 90 percent of patients preferred the Foot Selfie System over their previous methods of foot screenings.
• At outset and six-months, all users said they would recommend the system to someone else who was concerned about developing a foot wound.
• On a scale of 1-10, the median score was a 10 for whether or not participants felt like the benefits of the system outweighed the disadvantages.

The Foot Selfie isn’t isn’t quite ready for commercial use, but Swerdlow and colleagues plan to conduct larger studies and then find a way to mass-produce the product if study results continue to show promise.