Where Are We With AI in Diabetic Foot Management?
Tyler L. Coye, DPM touched down with Podiatry Today to share thoughts from his recent lecture at the American College of Podiatric Surgery conference.
There has been much discussion of the emergence of AI and its role in medicine as a whole. What can you share about its place in DM foot management?
Artificial intelligence (AI) has a lot of potential in diabetic foot care because so much of what we do depends on careful measurement, monitoring, and risk prediction. A wound can change quickly, and small details often make the difference between healing and amputation. AI tools can help us standardize wound measurement, pick up early changes that the eye might miss, and even predict which patients are at highest risk for complications. That does not replace clinical judgment, but it gives us more objective data to work with.
Where are we at present with this technology? Is it active and working, or more so in developmental stages?
We are in a bit of both worlds right now. There are already FDA-cleared apps and imaging platforms that use AI for wound measurement and monitoring, and these are in active use in some clinics. At the same time, much of the work around prediction models such as forecasting healing or amputation risk is still in development and needs larger, prospective trials before it becomes part of everyday care.
What do you anticipate the next year or so will bring with these options?
I think we will see more integration of AI into routine workflows. That means tools built directly into electronic medical records or smartphone apps that patients can use from home, with clinicians reviewing results remotely. We will also likely see more work on external validation, making sure these tools perform well across diverse patient populations and not just in single-center studies.
Is the literature weighing in at all? How do you feel this will impact patient care?
Yes, the literature is growing quickly. A few years ago, most of the AI research was in diabetic retinopathy, but now we are seeing more studies focused on the diabetic foot. Reviews and meta-analyses are pointing out both the promise and the gaps, such as the need for prospective validation and patient-centered outcomes. Long-term, I think this will impact care by making wound assessments more consistent and by allowing earlier interventions, which should translate into fewer hospitalizations and fewer amputations.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
AI is not going to replace the podiatrist. But podiatrists who learn how to use AI effectively will have another set of tools to improve patient outcomes. It is important that we remain critical, ask for strong evidence, and focus on outcomes that matter to patients. If we do that, I believe AI can be a real ally in the fight against limb loss.
Dr. Coye is an Assistant Professor, in the Department of Surgery, Vascular Surgery & Limb Salvage at Baylor College of Medicine, in Houston, TX.
