A 3-Minute Screening Exam for Diabetic Foot

BEN-HUR · Jan 13, 2016

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A 3-Minute Screening Exam for Diabetic Foot [http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle...&uac=156241CR&spon=17&impID=953908&faf=1#vp_1]
(David G. Armstrong, DPM, MD, PhD; Brian D. Lepow, DPM)

About 30 million Americans are living with diabetes,[1] and about 15% of them eventually will develop a foot ulcer, with 2- to 5-year recurrence rates exceeding 50%. Alarmingly, 15%-24% of recurrent ulcerations lead to amputations.[2]

As the diabetic population grows, so does the demand for a more streamlined screening protocol for the diabetic foot. Such a protocol should expedite referrals, with the hope of getting patients to a specialist before they face hospitalization or a preventable amputation.

The primary care provider (PCP) is the front-line defender against complications of diabetes, including the diabetic foot. Unfortunately, the shortfall of PCPs is projected to grow even as the number of patients with diabetes increases, raising the burden of screening and referral and leaving even less time for health education and prevention.[3,4]

The routine foot exam and rapid risk stratification is often difficult to incorporate into an already busy primary care exam. Data suggest that the diabetic foot is adequately evaluated in only 12%-20% of patient encounters.[5]

The "3-minute foot exam" was designed to provide healthcare providers with a thorough yet concise and easily repeatable way to evaluate the lower extremity of the diabetic patient. This exam consists of three components, each performed in 1 minute or less: a patient history, a physical exam, and patient education... cont...

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I do question the stated "1 minute or less" examination time... particularly for the potential (high risk) nature of patient the examination is pertaining to (Diabetics). The "patient history" alone can be a time zapper... particularly for the talkative &/or forgetful variety. Anyhow... worth the read... keep in mind & implement when father time just won't give you a break...:wacko:

BEN-HUR Well-Known Member

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