The financial burden of diabetes-related foot disease in Australia: a protocol for a systematic review

Background Diabetes-related foot disease (DFD) is one of the most common, costly and severe complications of diabetes, which poses a substantial burden on patients, healthcare systems and society. Contemporary data on the financial burden of DFD treatment in Australia is ambiguous. Therefore, the aim of this proposed protocol is to identify, summarise and synthesise existing evidence by undertaking a systematic review to estimate the costs associated with DFD treatment in Australia. Methods This systematic review will conduct searches in MEDLINE, Embase, AMED, CINAHL, Joanna Briggs Institute EBP and the Cochrane Library from November 2011 to November 2021. Peer-reviewed articles evaluating the costs associated with DFD treatment within Australia will be included. Study quality and risk of bias will be assessed using the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS 2022). A meta-analysis of estimated costs will be performed if data from included studies are sufficiently homogenous, otherwise, a narrative synthesis will be used. Discussion The results of this systematic review will provide insight into the current economic impact of DFD management within Australia. Such data may help to inform optimisation of national service delivery and result in improved outcomes for individuals with DFD in Australia.