Dr. Anahita Dua reminds us why preventing amputations is a collective duty of care
In a guest essay published by The New York Times, Dr. Anahita Dua relays the heartbreaking story of a patient who presented at the emergency room of Massachusetts General Hospital complaining of pain in her foot. The patient had an infected wound so severe that amputating her leg was the only option. She died 14 months later.
āThe entire episode could probably have been prevented,ā Dr. Dua writes. āMy patient did not have to die the way she did.ā
This story is unfortunately playing out every day in provider settings throughout the country. Evidence shows that less than half (49%) of people with a lower extremity amputation had a vascular evaluation prior to the procedure. Similarly, 53% of amputation claims are for people whose medical history did not include a vascular referral.
As Dr. Dua points out, we can do better. We need to do better.
This story and others like it are the very reason the CarePICS app was developed. CarePICS serves as the connective tissue that effectively bridges these critical gaps in care and helps facilitate greater access to proper treatment for patients at risk of amputation as well as wound care patients in general.
You may read Dr. Duaās essay here.
You may register for a free trial of the CarePICS app here.
Anahita Dua is a vascular surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital and associate professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School. She is co-director of the Peripheral Artery Disease Center and Limb Evaluation and Preservation Program at Massachusetts General Hospital.