Structured Educational Program vs Standard Care in Pre-surgical Critical Limb Ischemia Patients

Summary

Critical limb ischemia (CLI) is a severe condition where poor blood flow to the legs causes pain, non-healing wounds, and may require amputation. It affects 10% of people over 40, rising to 20% in those over 70. Within the first year after diagnosis, 30% of patients need amputation and 25% die.

Current treatments include medications, surgery to restore blood flow, or amputation, but results remain poor. Research shows that lifestyle changes like quitting smoking and regular exercise can significantly improve outcomes, yet most CLI patients struggle to make these changes and lack knowledge about their condition.

This study tests whether a structured educational program called the "Critical Limb Ischemia School" can help patients. The program teaches patients about their condition, symptom management, lifestyle modifications, and when to seek medical help. The investigators will compare patients receiving this education to those getting standard care.

The study will evaluate several important health outcomes during a 12-month period to determine if the educational program makes a meaningful difference in patients' lives. The investigators will assess how the intervention affects patients' overall well-being, their ability to manage symptoms and daily activities, and whether it helps prevent serious complications that could lead to disability.

If successful, this program could provide a cost-effective way to help CLI patients manage their condition and potentially avoid serious complications like amputation.

Conditions

• Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia
• Peripheral Arterial Disease
• Health Education

Interventions

OTHER

Structured Multimodal Educational Program for Critical Limb Ischemia

A comprehensive 4 weeks educational program combining face-to-face and digital learning modalities. Components include: interactive group sessions twice a week led by vascular specialists covering the pathophysiology of disease, risk factor modification, and treatment options; digital platform access with multimedia educational materials, printed educational materials for home reference; peer support group participation; medical hotline access for patient-initiated consultations and urgent questions; smoking cessation counseling; supervised exercise program recommendations; wound care training. The program emphasizes patient self-management skills, early recognition of complications, and adherence to medical therapy alongside standard clinical care.

OTHER

Standard medical care

Routine clinical management for critical limb ischemia according to current standard of care guidelines. Includes vascular surgery consultation and scheduled follow-up appointments as clinically indicated. No structured educational materials, formal patient education sessions, or additional follow-up contacts beyond routine clinical care are provided. Patients receive standard verbal and written instructions during consultation and have access to the same medical and surgical treatments as the intervention group when clinically warranted.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Tulip Medicine

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2024-09-30

Primary Completion

2025-12-26

Completion

2025-12-26

Countries

• Kazakhstan

Study Locations