DIABETES is a global disease that preoccupies all governs worldwide. There are 425 million people with diabetes in the World. There will be 629 million people with diabetes in the World in 2045. https://diabetesatlas.org/across-the-globe.html . Two-thirds are adults in the working age. Only in Europe there are about 60 million people with diabetes, nearly 8% of the European population. Prevalence of diabetes is increasing among all ages in the European included, mostly due to increases in overweight and obesity, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity. There’s a huge support to the patients, including in the educational strand. However, there’s a point that education didn’t reach yet, which is the relationship between FOOTWEAR and the DIABETIC FOOT CONTROL. A frequent complication of diabetes is the involvement of the lower limbs, the so-called diabetic foot, where a number of irreversible changes occur in the lower limbs in connection with changes in the body of diabetics. These are primarily due to neuropathy and ischemic disease of the lower limbs, a common cause of serious complications (ulceration, gangrene), which in many cases end with amputation in the lower limb. Expert medical reports indicate that the main cause of complications on the feet of diabetics is inappropriate footwear, to maintain movement activity and the health of the diabetic foot. In diabetics, inappropriate footwear is up to 80% cause of complications to the legs, many times led to amputations. To have available in the market on demand, to purchase, to use and to maintain the adequate footwear for each case are the pillars to prevent the development of diabetic foot syndrome. The project addresses the real lack in terms of knowledges and skills on Diabetic Foot Control of: - Footwear technicians, Designers and Managers, reflecting on the manufacturing strategies to produce appropriate footwear; - Health Technicians, Shoe-shop Assistants, regarding capacity for advice, interpret and implement medical prescriptions on the adequate footwear to address to each case, accompanying the patients/consumers; - Patients, their Families, Educators, informal Carers, and everyone who can contribute to the better life of the patients. The partnership composed by a set of 3 research and development entities, one University, and one footwear association all related to footwear joint efforts to provide a contribute for the above identified need, allied with their umbrella organization vis-à-vis European entities and an expert on digital education resources developer. All together from a wide range of regions in Europe, will develop a response to the need of knowledge and skills on the problematic, always focus on prevention, reaching education on Diabetic Foot Control through the manufacturing and address of adequate footwear to the development of digital competence toward VET population. The project focuses on the RELATIONSHIP between the DIABETIC FOOT CONTROL and the ADEQUACY OF THE FOOTWEAR, which is the real lack of knowledge and skills and the arise of educational opportunities, which will make the difference at various levels: - modernization of VET, including innovative dedicated training and curricula up-taking of curriculum on Diabetic Foot Control through adequate Footwear; - increasing of digital competences of a wide range of target groups; - increasing of the quality life standards of the diabetic population; - the potentiation of results from research and development initiatives on the field The project will produce 3 digital educational packages to 3 different targets in 6 languages (Portuguese, Spanish, German, Romanian, Czech, Polish) plus English, as following: Digital Educational package for Footwear manufacturers on Footwear for Diabetic Foot Control - target to footwear technicians and designers, envisaging to develop knowledge on the diabetic foot and create capacity to articulate manufacturing strategies with the needs of diabetic patients, allowing them to use fashionable footwear but adapted to their special needs. Digital Educational Package for Health technicians and Shoe-shop assistants on adequate Footwear for Diabetic Foot Control - “capacity building” tool to help/advise on the choose and/or on the understanding of the medical prescription of the most adequate footwear for diabetic foot control regarding each patient situation. Self-caring digital educational package for Diabetic Foot Control - for patients, their families, other relatives, their teachers/educators and all supportive education personnel who are in continue contact with them, all kind of informal carers and community in general A project website and promotional and advertising material will be provided along the project as well as a set of workshops/multiplier events in each country involved, including a wide conference in Brussels vis-à-vis with European organizations.
The project offers a systemic approach to the several target-groups spinning around the DFS (Diabetic Foot Syndrome) problematic, trough the development of 3 digital education products focused on the RELATIONSHIP between the DIABETIC FOOT CONTROL and the ADEQUACY OF THE FOOTWEAR, covering lack of knowledge and skills and addressing education opportunities, with a following aims: 1- To increase of knowledge on Diabetic Foot Control (DFC) through the adequate footwear in several target groups, from Health sector and Commerce to Footwear design and manufacturing with a logical impact on the standards of living of the patients, families, the public costs. 2- To development of digital competences through the use of e-learning in a wide range of population 3- To development of a new curricula toward the footwear manufacturers key-staff, namely designers, technicians, managers contributing for the enhancement of the correspondent Sectorial Qualification Framework and the quality of education/training, and the employability of the active population in these sectors. 4- To potentiation of the already existing knowledge mostly developed within Research and Innovation projects, on Diabetic Foot Control and relationship with Footwear.
In 2019 (project submission) there were 425 million people with diabetes in the World, in 2021 537 million. There will be 629 million people with diabetes in the World in 2045. Only in Europe there are about 61 million people with diabetes, 7% of the European population. There will be 67 million adults with diabetes in 2030 in EU. A frequent complication of diabetes is the so-called diabetic foot syndrome (DFS), where a number of irreversible changes occur in the lower limbs in connection with changes in the body of diabetics, leading to amputations. The main cause of DFS is the inappropriate footwear, which is 80% of the causes of complications in the legs, many times led to amputations. The project addresses the real lack of knowledges and skills on Diabetic Foot Control at many fronts: - Footwear technicians, Designers and Managers, on design and manufacturing strategies to produce appropriate footwear. - Health Technicians, Shoe-shop Assistants, on the capacity for advice, interpret and implement medical prescriptions on the adequate footwear for each case, accompanying the patients/consumers. - Patients, their Families, Educators, informal Caregivers, and everyone who can contribute to a better life of the patients.