Search Results
Background: The purpose of this study was to ascertain public perception of the terms podiatry and DPM.
Methods: We distributed a survey to 847 people in ten states across the United States. It was hypothesized that most respondents would be less familiar with the DPM degree than the term podiatrist. It was also expected that people would choose MD over DPM for more complex procedures.
Results: The majority of respondents selected a podiatrist and a DPM as a foot specialist, almost one-half selected DPM for foot surgery, but only one-third stated they would have foot surgery done by a DPM if they had a heart problem. In addition, it was hypothesized that respondents would choose the contrived PMD over DPM simply because PMD looks more like MD; this was not shown to be true.
Conclusions: Although there are gaps in the public knowledge, our study revealed a greater familiarity with podiatry and the DPM degree than originally thought. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 99(3): 223–231, 2009)
Background: Article citations are a well-accepted method of evaluating the influence or impact of a particular article. Other medical specialties have published the top cited articles in their specialty. To date, an analysis of the foot and ankle podiatric medicine–related article citation method has not been published.
Methods: Three citation indices were used on October 10, 2014, February 20, 2015, and May 1, 2015, to determine the top 100 cited foot and ankle–related articles.
Results: Most of the top 100 cited foot and ankle podiatric medicine–related articles were published in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery by medical doctors in the United States in the past two decades, with most of the article topics being the diabetic foot or trauma. The predominant level of evidence for the articles is evenly distributed among levels III, IV, and V.
Conclusions: Podiatric medical research and publication has made great strides during the past two decades, particularly in the diabetic foot, but continued research and peer-reviewed journal publication in additional areas regarding the foot and ankle must become a priority in the podiatric medical community.
The computerized student-patient encounter log system represents a considerable improvement in terms of efficiency and accuracy over traditional paper-based student-patient encounter reporting systems. The computerized log not only facilitates faculty monitoring of students’ assessment and management of health problems at geographically disparate locations but also provides a rich resource of data for enhancing clinical teaching and learning experiences. However, little is known about podiatric medical students’ experiences with Web-based computerized student-patient encounter log systems. The findings reported in this article suggest that the computerized student-patient encounter log was considered to be useful and effective by most of the podiatric medical students surveyed and represents an improvement over traditional paper-based recording systems. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 95(6): 556–563, 2005)
Background: Podiatric and osteopathic medical students at Des Moines University take the same basic science medical curriculum. The first course students complete is medical biochemistry. The final common course is the second-year medical pharmacology course. Attrition typically occurs between these academic offerings. We sought to compare admissions data, retention rates, and academic performance between these two groups of medical students for the classes of 2008 to 2011.
Methods: Average admission scores, performance scores for the biochemistry and medical pharmacology courses, and retention rates for the 2008 to 2011 classes were obtained from the registrar and enrollment offices. One-way analysis of variance was used to compare the scores of the two cohorts. Linear regression was used to identify changes across time.
Results: The DO students showed significantly better performance than the DPM students in matriculating overall and science grade point averages, total Medical College Admissions Test scores, retention rates, and the medical biochemistry course (P < .01). There was no difference in the performance of the student groups in the medical pharmacology course. The DPM student scores across the four classes increased for both academic courses, whereas the DO student scores remained at the same level for medical biochemistry, at a rate of 0.74% per year (R 2 = 0.50), and pharmacology, at a rate of 0.90% per year (R 2 = 0.49).
Conclusions: Admissions data and initial academic performance of osteopathic medical students were higher than those of podiatric medical students. Once attrition occurred in year 1, the difference in academic performance between these groups of students was no longer statistically significant, and students in both medical programs at that time in the curriculum are equally academically qualified. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 100(4): 276–280, 2010)
Background
To identify the strengths and weaknesses in a given research area, it is necessary to analyze the published literature. International studies on podiatry research productivity are scarce. This study aimed to analyze scientific productivity in the area of podiatric medicine from 1965 to 2017.
Methods
This was a retrospective, observational, bibliometric study. The MEDLINE database was used to identify research published between 1965 and 2017. Literature searches were performed in 2010 and 2017 through RefWorks, and research production per year, author, document type, country, institution, journal, and language were calculated. Podiatry's contribution to global scientific production was measured by calculating the ratio of podiatry publications to total production, and Price's law was applied to analyze the temporal evolution. Author productivity index, coauthorship, geographic distribution, and the distribution by institution type and journal (Bradford's law) were analyzed.
Results
The MEDLINE search yielded 1,256 publications, representing 4.75 articles per 100,000 publications in global scientific research. The growth rate followed Price's law after linear adjustment. The 2,229 identified authors presented a transience index of 85.73%; 0.38% were highly productive authors. The coauthorship index increased from 1.40 in 1965 to 5.80 in 2017. The most common document type was the journal article, whereas 2.1% were clinical trials. Only one document reported a controlled clinical trial. The United States led scientific production, with 77.15% of the documents; 60.5% of the publications were concentrated in four journals.
Conclusions
Podiatry is still an emerging research field, and literature is concentrated in a small number of journals, categorized into different subjects.
This article reviews the extent of health-care students’ computer literacy and presents the results of a survey of podiatric medical students’ computer literacy. The results of this survey indicate that podiatric medical students are more likely than other health-care students to rate their computer literacy as good or very good. There was no gender difference in this self-reported computer knowledge. The implications for designing and using Web-based instructional materials and technology for podiatric medical students are discussed. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 94(4): 375–381, 2004)
Combined Popliteal and Saphenous Nerve Blocks at the Knee
An Underused Alternative to General or Spinal Anesthesia for Foot and Ankle Surgery
Peripheral nerve blocks at the ankle have long been used for foot surgery. However, when local foot and ankle blocks are inappropriate or contraindicated, general and spinal anesthesia are the common alternatives. Both have disadvantages and require added equipment and monitors. Combined popliteal and saphenous nerve blocks at the knee can offer a desirable alternative to general and spinal anesthesia for foot and ankle surgery. In addition, popliteal and saphenous nerve blocks provide anesthesia of the entire lower leg, thus permitting a greater variety of procedures to be performed. This article reviews the anatomical considerations, various block techniques, and surgical applications of this useful approach to lower-leg anesthesia. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 94(4): 368–374, 2004)
Background
Diabetes-related lower limb amputations (LLAs) are a major complication that can be reduced by employing multidisciplinary center frameworks such as the Toe and Flow model (TFM). In this study, we investigate the LLAs reduction efficacy of the TFM compared to the standard of care (SOC) in the Canadian health-care system.
Methods
We retrospectively reviewed the anonymized diabetes-related LLA reports (2007-2017) in Calgary and Edmonton metropolitan health zones in Alberta, Canada. Both zones have the same provincial health-care coverage and similar demographics; however, Calgary operates based on the TFM while Edmonton with the provincial SOC. LLAs were divided into minor and major amputation cohorts and evaluated using the chi-square test, linear regression. A lower major LLAs rate was denoted as a sign for higher efficacy of the system.
Results
Although LLAs numbers remained relatively comparable (Calgary: 2238 and Edmonton: 2410), the Calgary zone had both significantly lower major (45%) and higher minor (42%) amputation incidence rates compared to the Edmonton zone. The increasing trend in minor LLAs and decreasing major LLAs in the Calgary zone were negatively and significantly correlated (r = -0.730, p = 0.011), with no significant correlation in the Edmonton zone.
Conclusions
Calgary's decreasing diabetes-related major LLAs and negative correlation in the minor-major LLAs rates compared to its sister zone Edmonton, provides support for the positive impact of the TFM. This investigation includes support for a modernization of the diabetes-related limb preservation practice in Canada by implementing TFMs across the country to combat major LLAs.
