How Do Poverty, Insurance, and Government Assistance Impact Diabetic Foot Ulcer Outcomes? A Scoping Review

The social drivers of diabetic foot disease (SDDFD) impact ulcer incidence and outcomes, but how is relatively unknown. We aimed to build a conceptual model positing how three SDDFD-poverty, insurance, and government assistance-influence outcomes for patients with diabetic foot ulcers.

To inform the model, we conducted a scoping review of studies linking poverty, insurance, and/or government assistance with diabetic foot ulcer outcomes using Levac and colleagues' 6-stage framework, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis extension for scoping reviews, and the SPIDER tool. We searched PubMed, CINAHL, and Embase for original research articles set in the United States and published between 1 January 2005 and 7 November 2025. We excluded those published in a language other than English, case reports, abstracts, and studies of other SDDFD.

Data from 35 included studies informed our conceptual model, depicting a complex causal pathway between SDDFD and outcomes, often mediated by healthcare system factors and moderated by patients' abilities to adhere to healthcare recommendations. Multidisciplinary teams might ameliorate the risk of amputations associated with poverty, lack of insurance, or qualifying for government assistance. Additionally, the model highlights reinforcing feedback loops, both positive and negative.

Our model can be used to inform mediation and moderation analyses and help avoid collider-conditioning bias during statistical analyses. It can help identify potential points of intervention within the healthcare system for those working to dampen the negative effects of SDDFD on outcomes.