CARE-D-Foot-Nav: a diabetic foot care navigation program
Comprehensive Assistance and Resources for Effective Diabetic Foot Navigation (CARE-D-Foot-Nav), a randomized controlled trial
This project sees if giving people with diabetic foot ulcers a trained patient navigator to arrange care, resources, and appointments helps wounds heal and prevents amputations.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Emory University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11291789 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have a diabetic foot ulcer, you may be randomly assigned to get a dedicated patient navigator who helps schedule appointments, arrange transportation and supplies, and connect you with wound, vascular, and diabetes specialists. The trial will compare healing, hospital admissions, and limb outcomes between people who get navigator support and those who get usual care. The team partners with multidisciplinary clinics and community organizations to address social needs that make it hard to follow treatment. Enrollment and care delivery will occur through Emory-affiliated clinics in the Atlanta area over several years.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with diabetes who have a current or recent diabetic foot ulcer, particularly patients facing transportation, housing, or insurance barriers, would be the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without diabetes or without a current or recent diabetic foot ulcer, or those already enrolled in a specialized multidisciplinary DFU program, are unlikely to benefit from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could speed wound healing, reduce diabetes-related amputations, and make it easier for patients—especially those with social barriers—to get coordinated care.
How similar studies have performed: Patient navigator programs have improved general diabetes outcomes and care engagement in prior work, but using navigators specifically for diabetic foot ulcers is relatively new and not yet proven in randomized trials.
Where this research is happening
Atlanta, United States
- Emory University — Atlanta, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fayfman, Maya — Emory University
- Study coordinator: Fayfman, Maya
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.