Diabetic Foot—Scope of the Problem Worldwide: The Challenge of Data Management

Healthcare data is experiencing one of the highest growth rates of any major data sector, driven primarily by rapid advances in genomics, medical imaging, and continuous data from wearable devices. The convergence of universal data standards in healthcare (terminologies, OpenEHR, FHIR, and OMOP) is now providing the common ground needed to translate this data into tangible medical advances through a wide array of different applications. Together with a growing ecosystem of analytics, predictive models, and advanced artificial intelligence tools, this synergy is poised to fundamentally transform the delivery of healthcare. With the maturation of health information technology and proliferation of research in the field, the pivotal challenge has shifted from technological capability to the pervasive inability to implement solutions effectively in routine practice, particularly those tailored to diabetic foot-specific needs. In the context of diabetic foot care, where the paramount goals are patients' well-being, tissue preservation, and amputation prevention, collaborative data management must be recognized as a critical treatment modality itself. “Data is tissue,” it is the foundational element that enables the timely, coordinated, and evidence-based interventions necessary for success. This paper highlights some of the opportunities presented by modern data methodologies to address the current implementation gap.