Current Status of Lower Extremity Wound Management Fee–reimbursed Facilities Affiliated with Physician Members of the Japanese Society for Foot Care and Podiatric Medicine: Orthoses Committee Survey, Part 1

Abstract

 Objectives: This study aimed to describe the characteristics of healthcare facilities providing reimbursed lower extremity wound care in Japan.
 Methods: We conducted a descriptive analysis using data from a nationwide survey carried out by the Japanese Society of Foot Care and Podiatric Medicine in 2023. A total of 146 facilities were included. Each facility was represented by one physician respondent representing each facility. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and exploratory comparisons by facility size were performed for team composition and clinical practices.
 Results: Participating facilities ranged from clinics to large hospitals. Among physicians, plastic surgeons had the highest representation (61.0%), whereas nurses (86.3%) , physical therapists (49.3%), and prosthetists/orthotists (41.8%) were the most common non-physician professionals. Basic wound care practices were widely implemented regardless of facility size, whereas specialized interventions such as revascularization and surgical procedures were concentrated in larger facilities. Offloading was also widely provided across facility types; however, its modalities varied from custom-made orthoses to simpler methods, and implementation differed according to the presence of prosthetists/orthotists.
 Conclusion: These findings provide facility-level descriptive data on lower extremity wound care in Japan. We identified variations in team composition and clinical practices. Future detailed analyses and interventional studies are needed.