Can artificial intelligence and wearable technologies transform diabetes foot health?

Diabetes foot ulcers (DFUs) affect millions globally, and are a global health challenge, contributing significantly to morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. This review article critically evaluates advances in artificial intelligence and new technologies and their potential to transform diabetes foot complications.

Artificial intelligence-based thermal and clinical image analysis offer the potential for early detection, remote diagnosis and monitoring and to mitigate disparities in specialist access. Incorporating novel pressure and temperature sensing, wearable technologies could enhance foot monitoring and enable personalized care and intervention. However, ethical challenges with artificial intelligence, including accountability, limited explainability, data security and equitable access will have to be addressed.

Artificial intelligence and wearable technologies could herald a paradigm shift in diabetes foot health and research. However, these exciting tools are not yet ready for adoption in clinical practice. Larger, well funded clinical intervention studies and greater collaboration between clinicians, artificial intelligence scientists and product engineers, working in partnership with people with diabetes, is needed if these approaches are to fulfil their potential.