Development and Validation of a Simplified Pre-Screening Model for Diabetic Foot Ulcer Identification in Diabetic Patients
Summary: Researchers developed and validated a simple, low-cost pre-screening model to identify diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) using routine clinical indicators. The model incorporates age, history of foot injury, alcohol consumption, and the albumin-to-HbA1c ratio (Alb/HbA1c). It demonstrated good discriminatory power (AUC 0.807 in training, 0.817 in validation) and high negative predictive value, making it suitable for ruling out DFU in resource-limited primary care settings.
Key Highlights:
- Four easy-to-obtain predictors: age, prior foot injury, alcohol use, and Alb/HbA1c ratio
- Strong performance in both training (AUC 0.807) and validation cohorts (AUC 0.817)
- High negative predictive value — useful for ruling out DFU in primary care
- Practical tool for resource-limited settings where advanced testing is unavailable
Keywords: DFU pre screening model, Alb HbA1c ratio, diabetic foot ulcer prediction