To test various indicators for comparing the outcomes of diabetic foot care.
All 396,317 patients treated with hypoglycaemic medication in Finland were followed up based on nationwide registers on hospital discharges and causes of death during 1997-2007.
The crude and standardized incidences of lower extremity amputations (LEAs), the minor-major ratio of the first LEA and 2-year survival with a preserved leg after the first minor LEA were used as indicators for regional and temporal variation in diabetic foot care.
A total of 13,469 LEAs were recorded in 1997-2007. The standardized population-corrected rate of first major LEA per 100,000 person-years declined from 10.0 (95% CI 9.6-10.5) to 7.3 (6.9-7.6) (p