Path Active Multicentre Randomised Controlled Trial (Previous Pilot: Path Active; Safety and Tolerability Study)

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Foot complications in people with diabetes are the most common cause of non-traumatic leg amputation in the UK with over 176 leg, toe or foot amputations every week in England. One in seven people with diabetes will develop a foot ulcer at some stage in their lives. Not only does this impair their daily activities and reduce their quality of life, it also increases their risk of amputation by up to 24-fold. Five year mortality for minor and major amputations in diabetes have been reported as 46.2% and 56.6%, respectively. Circulatory problems, nerve impairment and infection contribute to foot complications in diabetes. Prior to a foot ulceration, changes in temperature and/or pressure occur. These early warning signs can be measured by Path Active™ and alert the wearer via a mobile phone app and the clinician via a clinical dashboard so that preventive action can be taken. Currently people with diabetes who have been assessed as 'high risk' for foot ulceration are allocated appointments with podiatrists in 'foot protection teams' who review on a weekly to monthly basis. Path Active™ has the potential to reduce appointments by alerting podiatry teams to potential problems as they occur rather than regular routine reviews. Path Active™ may be able to reduce hospital and clinic visits and thereby reduce healthcare carbon footprint. The primary objective of this clinical investigation is to evaluate the effectiveness of Path Active™ in people with diabetes who are at 'high risk' of foot ulceration. The study is a multisite randomised controlled trial which will evaluate the effectiveness of Path Active™ in 60 people with diabetes who are at 'high risk' of foot ulceration, compared with 60 people who receive their usual podiatry foot checks over a period of 12 weeks. Recruitment to the study will be in 4 clinical sites across England and Scotland. The protocol for this study was amended from the pilot study and accepted as a 'major amendment' by the regional Ethics Committee of Essex. Therefore the IRAS number (Unique Protocol ID: 326601) has remained the same.