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VA pilot remote foot-temperature mat credited with reducing amputations and saving millions, witnesses tell committee
Summary
A company that collaborated with VA on a remote temperature-monitoring mat said the program detects diabetic foot ulcers weeks earlier, cuts mortality, saves money per patient and could avert thousands of amputations if scaled — but enrollment and budgeting barriers limit expansion.
Dr. Jonathan Blum, a physician who co-founded Podimetrics, told the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs that a remote temperature-monitoring mat used in a VA initiative can detect developing diabetic foot ulcers well before they become emergencies.
The program: "From the comfort of a veteran's home, a veteran stands on the smart mat for just 20 seconds a day while they're brushing their teeth or combing in their hair. The mat then scans for temperature changes in the feet, which may indicate a developing foot ulcer," Blum said, describing the device Podimetrics deployed with VA in what witnesses referred to as the VA’s initiative to end…
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