Table 3 Comparison of Belgian, German, and Australian accreditation systems [17, 27]
| Belgium | Germany | Australia | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Members | Diabetologist, surgeon on call, podiatrist, diabetes nurse, footwear technician | Diabetologist, at least four of the following: orthopaedic surgeon, vascular surgeon, diabetologist, chiropodist, orthotist, shoemaker, microbiologist | The minimum core staffing is: diabetologist, senior podiatrist, and a credentialled diabetes educator. Patients should have access to vascular surgery and orthopaedic surgery services. |
| Emergency service | Permanent (24/7) availability of a diabetologist on call | 24/7 availability of service | N/A |
| Outpatient clinic | At least 4 h of consultation per week | N/A | At least one session per week |
| Dedicated ward round | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Evidenced-Based Clinical Management | N/A | Treatment according to guidelines | All members agreed upon treatment guidelines and protocols which are based on published evidence-based best practice guidelines. |
| Defined intake criteria | N/A | N/A | Evidenced-based intake criteria are clearly defined and articulated to referrers for both urgent and non-urgent referrals. |
| Coordination | N/A | N/A | A member is appointed as the coordinator to provide overall coordination of the team |
| Continuity of Care and Communication |
Continuity of care during hospitalization Feedback to GPs and home care providers | N/A | Management plans are communicated in a timely manner (within 5 business days) to the referrer and all relevant health professionals involved in the patient’s care including the GP. |
| Quality improvement | Compulsory audit | Compulsory audit | Compulsory audit |