When should you refer to a podiatrist?

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When should you refer to a podiatrist?

• Elite Experts

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• Medicine is a wonderful, varied profession
  covering the body from head to toe. From the
  internist who serves as gatekeeper and to the
  specialized surgeon, the body is well cared for
  from head to toe. Podiatry has become specialized
  over the past decades to include everything from
  sports medicine and ankle surgery to wound care.
  Often, the challenge in medicine for the
  practitioner is to know when to refer a patient
  to a specialist with more specialized training.

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• Podiatric foot and ankle physicians and surgeons
  provide comprehensive medical and surgical care
  for a wide spectrum of foot and ankle conditions
  including common to complex disorders and
  injuries that affect people of all ages. They are
  uniquely qualified to detect the early stages of
  diseases that exhibit warning signs in the lower
  extremities, such as diabetes, arthritis and
  cardiovascular disease, and they manage foot and
  conditions which may compromise the quality of
  life this include a vast array of medical
  conditions spanning various body systems such as
  integumentary, musculoskeletal, nervous,
  endocrine, cardiovascular system etc.

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• The federal government is pursuing a
  patient-centered care delivery model, aimed at
  improving patient care quality, efficiency and
  savings. This is leading to a paradigm shift in
  traditional medical thinking. These changes will
  require the healthcare providers/industry to
  embrace a strategy of collaborative partnership
  and clinical integration with the intent to
  improve patient care.

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• How can podiatrists improve patient care quality,
  efficiency and savings? Lets use diabetes as an
  example. Diabetes is a pandemic problem that
  results in an amputation every 20 seconds. The
  CDC says 1 in 10 adults currently have diabetes
  and rapidly rising also diabetes costs 245
  BILLION to the healthcare system (as of 2012).
  Every five minutes, a patient will lose a limb in
  the U.S. due to diabetes. Diabetic foot
  ulcerations (DFUs) are precursors to amputation.
  Since time is of the essence when it comes to
  tissue loss and healing, prompt intervention in
  patients with diabetic foot disorders may
  preserve limbs, restore function and keep
  patients out of hospitals. We are all aware of
  the commonly quoted statistic that 1 of the
  patient population accounts for 20 of all
  healthcare expenses hence timely and prompt
  podiatric consultation and intervention will
  result in improved quality, efficiency and
  savings.

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• This care is integral in reducing hospital stays,
  keeping patients active and helping to bring
  overall healthcare costs down. Outcomes data
  shows DPMs provide high-volume, quality, safe,
  and cost-effective care, especially related to
  chronic conditions like diabetes. Since more of
  the U.S. population is expected to be diagnosed
  with diabetic mellitus, peripheral arterial
  disease and other high risk lower extremity
  ailments over the coming years, DPMs will
  continue to be a valued partner in delivering
  primary and specialty care to this growing
  chronic disease and other at-risk populations.
• Patient centered health care requires healthcare
  providers to work as a team, communicate among
  all specialties, and know when and where to
  refer. Maintaining good relations with other
  physicians in different specialties will make for
  a smoother transition to accomplish a common
  goal. After all, the different specialties make
  up the sum of all parts for treating the human
  body from head to toe.

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