Cultura

Innovation and Integration in Healthcare: A Comprehensive Review of Medical and Allied Health Practices

VOLUME 21, 2024

The Role of Targeted Infra-popliteal Endovascular Angioplasty to Treat Diabetic Foot Ulcers Using the Angiosome Model: A Systematic Review

VOLUME 6, 2023

Saad Mohammed Mana Alqashanin, Sultan Abdulrahman Abdulkarim Alrabiah, Bander Fonis Khsiwey Al Moter, Mohammad Misfer Abdullah Al Osaimi, Alhanoof Saud Awad Almutairi
Aljoharah Saud Awad Almutairi, Omar Attitalh Almaalawy, Amal Mastour Abdullah Altowairqi, Fayez Obaid Hamoud Althobaiti, Miad Hammad Altowairqi

Abstract

Healthcare systems worldwide are increasingly challenged by service fragmentation, rising care complexity, and growing demands for quality, efficiency, and patient-centered outcomes. In response, innovation and integration across medical and allied health practices have become critical strategies for strengthening healthcare delivery. This comprehensive review aims to examine how innovative clinical, digital, and organizational approaches support the integration of medical, nursing, diagnostic, and allied health services across the continuum of care. A structured review of recent literature was conducted using major health databases, focusing on multidisciplinary collaboration, integrated care models, and enabling innovations within healthcare systems. The findings indicate that integrated practices—supported by digital health technologies, interprofessional teamwork, and effective governance—are consistently associated with improvements in patient safety, care coordination, clinical outcomes, and system efficiency. Medical leadership, nursing coordination, and allied health contributions were identified as complementary and interdependent components of successful integrated care models. Despite demonstrated benefits, barriers such as organizational silos, workforce constraints, and limited interoperability continue to hinder implementation. This review highlights the importance of innovation-driven integration in achieving resilient, high-quality healthcare systems and provides a conceptual foundation to inform future research, policy development, and practical implementation across diverse healthcare contexts.

Keywords : Healthcare innovation; Integrated care; Multidisciplinary collaboration; Allied health services; Health system performance.
Erin Saricilar
Lecture in accounting. University of Basrah, College of Administration and Economics, Department of Accounting.

Abstract

Atherosclerotic disease significantly impacts patients with type 2 diabetes, who often present with recalcitrant peripheral ulcers. The angiosome model of the foot presents an opportunity to perform direct angiosome-targeted endovascular interventions to maximise both wound healing and limb salvage. A systematic review was performed, with 17 studies included in the final review. Below-the-knee endovascular interventions present significant technical challenges, with technical success depending on the length of lesion being treated and the number of angiosomes that require treatment. Wound healing was significantly improved with direct angiosome-targeted angioplasty, as was limb salvage, with a significant increase in survival without major amputation. Indirect angioplasty, where the intervention is applied to collateral vessels to the angiosomes, yielded similar results to direct angiosome-targeted angioplasty. Applying the angiosome model of the foot in direct angiosome-targeted angioplasty improves outcomes for patients with recalcitrant diabetic foot ulcers in terms of primary wound healing, mean time for complete wound healing and major amputation-free survival.
Keywords : Diabetic foot ulcer, angiosome, angioplasty