Diabetes in the United States is quickly becoming an epidemic. As cases continue to rise, podiatric medical professionals must also evolve to combat this disease, according to Digital Journal.
Here are 10 ways diabetes is changing the field of podiatry:
1. With the number of diabetes cases rapidly increasing, podiatric medical professionals must be prepared to combat the foot complications that may arise from diabetes.
2. Podiatrists are devising new approaches in limb preservation and salvage.
3. The new approaches will be crucial for diabetics who could face diabetes-related lower-extremity amputations.
4. The American Board of Multiple Specialties in Podiatry has declared a call to all podiatrist medical professionals to become up-to-date on the ways diabetes is changing the world of podiatry.
5. Podiatric professionals are required to become board-certified through the ABMSP in order to accommodate the changing needs of diabetic patients.
6. In 2012, 29.1 million Americans were reported to have diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association.
7. Diabetics are considered high-risk for foot complications and amputations.
8. A study published in The Journal of Vascular Surgery details the ways podiatrists can fight against the diabetes epidemic in a three-fold approach:
• Identifying biomechanical abnormalities before a wound forms
• Administering clinic-based ulcer care as a move toward limb salvage
• Providing continuous podiatric management to prevent ulcer recurrence
9. The field of podiatry must evolve as the incidence of diabetes continues to rise by focusing on limb preservation and salvage.
10. Podiatrists can provide superior care for patients by becoming educated on the changing field and getting the highest possible certifications from ABMSP.
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