Diabetic education and initiation of podiatric medical care: A survey of podiatrists, endocrinologists, and internal medicine & primary care professionals

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that continues to increase in prevalence globally. Diabetics can develop foot-related issues including infections, ulcerations, and gangrene, which can result in amputation or death. There is existing medical literature for recommendations of podiatric referral, however there are differences amongst medical fields about when diabetics should be referred to podiatry and how to best educate these patients about their healthcare.Methods:This quality improvement study design involved a survey of medical professionals in internal medicine/primary care, endocrinology, and podiatry. The eligible participants were contacted via email to complete the survey.Results:Fifty-one medical professionals completed the survey: 33/51 (64.7%) podiatry, 14/51 (27.5%) internal medicine/primary care, and 4 (7.8%) endocrinology. Responses included 41/51 (80.4%) that diabetic patients should be referred to podiatry for a routine diabetic foot check, but answers varied for how soon these patients should be referred to podiatry. The majority of respondents answered that the best way to educate patients about healthcare included verbal discussions and 24/51(47.1%) answered that they use the teach-back method to confirm patient understanding.Discussion: This is a prevention-based quality improvement project which aims to provide recommendations on the standard practice of medical professionals to promote health and encourage disease prevention for diabetics. Results of the survey were shared with the participants as a quality improvement project with recommendations about the importance of early referral to podiatry for health promotion and disease prevention of diabetes. References: