CARE-D-Foot-Nav: a diabetic foot care navigation program
Official title: Comprehensive Assistance and Resources for Effective Diabetic Foot Navigation (CARE-D-Foot-Nav), a randomized controlled trial
Funded at Emory University · NIH-11291789 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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 start | February 25, 2025 |
| Project end | January 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $552,988 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK139326-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11291789 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
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.
✕Less likely to help
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.
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.
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 gone: 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
-
Emory University
Atlanta, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fayfman, Maya — Emory University
- Study coordinator: Fayfman, Maya
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Improving care for diabetic foot ulcers through patient navigation
This study is looking at how a special support program can help people with diabetes heal their foot ulcers better and avoid amputations, especially for those who might not have easy access to care.
-
Comparing continuous glucose monitoring to finger stick testing for healing diabetic foot ulcers.
This study is looking at whether using a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) helps people with diabetic foot ulcers heal better after leaving the hospital compared to the usual finger stick testing, and it’s for patients who have just been treated for these ulcers.
-
Improving Diabetic Foot Ulcer Offloading with User-Friendly Cast Walker Design
A small pilot study to see how different removable cast walker designs affect daily use and healing of diabetic foot ulcers.
-
Cognitive behavioral therapy and trazodone for insomnia phenotypes with high blood pressure
A clinical study tests how CBT-I and the sleep drug trazodone work for adults with insomnia and high blood pressure, focusing on a specific sleep duration pattern.
-
Shorter antifungal treatment for kids with candidemia
A multi-center pediatric trial tests whether a shorter, 7 extra days of antifungal therapy after an initial 7 days is just as good as the standard 14-day approach for kids with candidemia who are improving on echinocandin therapy.
-
Short Course vs Standard Course Antifungal Therapy for Pediatric Candidemia
This study tests whether a shorter 7-day total antifungal treatment after an initial 7 days of echinocandin therapy is as effective as the usual 14-day course for children with candidemia.
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.