Increased Wound Clinic Utilization Creates New Demands for Certified Podiatrists
Utilization of wound clinics in the treatment of diabetic foot wounds and ulcers is on the rise, and one result of this trend is an increased demand for highly-credentialed podiatrists to serve on—and often lead—wound treatment and limb preservation teams.
Utilization of wound clinics in the treatment of diabetic foot wounds and ulcers is on the rise, and one result of this trend is an increased demand for highly-credentialed podiatrists to serve on—and often lead—wound treatment and limb preservation teams. Podiatrists who are certified in these areas will increasingly play a critical role in reducing the health and financial costs of the epidemic of diabetic foot wounds. The American Board of Multiple Specialties in Podiatry (ABMSP) is the only certifying board offering certification in both diabetic foot wounds and in the emerging field of limb preservation and salvage.
A recent Outpatient Wound Clinic Market Performance Report finds that average monthly wound clinic visits rose from 263 to 324 in the three-year period of 2010 to 2012. This spike in visits is directly attributable to the dramatic and documented rise in diabetes cases in the United States. The American Diabetes Association reports that in 2012, 29.1 million Americans, or 9.3 percent of the population, had diabetes. These patients are at risk for diabetic foot complications, chronic wounds, non-healing ulcers, and amputations. In fact, a recent study calls the rise in cases of chronic human skin wounds a “major and chronic threat to public health and the economy.” A study prepared for the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research revealed that approximately 900,000 Americans experience diabetic foot ulcers each year, corresponding to an annual healthcare expenditure of $10 billion to $15 billion dollars. The study concluded that there is a critical need “for improved preventive measures and optimized treatment for diabetic foot ulcers to help avoid some severe and costly outcomes such as amputation.”
Podiatrists certified through the ABMSP in diabetic foot wounds and limb preservation and salvage are often the first to recognize the presence of or potential for chronic wound formation. These ABMSP-certified physicians have demonstrated a commitment to advanced standards of care. Certification by the ABMSP is sought voluntarily by podiatrists in order to attain a credential which attests to their training and experience as providers of services to persons who suffer from diseases and deformities of the foot.
“We are the frontline in the battle for limb preservation as ABMSP board-certified podiatric physicians and surgeons,” said ABMSP Board Director Beth Pearce, DPM. “We are committed to reducing the risk of and healing wounds that occur in all patients. Our multi-system expertise and training in medicine and surgery of the leg and foot makes the critical difference in avoiding amputations, saving legs and saving lives.”
About ABMSP
The American Board of Multiple Specialties in Podiatry was originally organized by podiatrists for the purpose of granting board certification to office-based and ambulatory foot surgeons. Incorporated in 1986 as the American Institute of Foot Medicine (AIFM), the name was changed in 1992 to better reflect its mission. The Board now offers certification to qualified podiatrists in all areas of podiatric practice: Primary Care in Podiatric Medicine; Foot and Ankle Surgery, both in a hospital setting and in outpatient facilities; Prevention and Treatment of Diabetic Foot Wounds and Foot Wear; and Limb Preservation and Salvage. The California Board of Medicine, through the California Board of Podiatric Medicine, has authorized diplomates of the American Board of Multiple Specialties in Podiatry to advertise their certification from the Board in the State of California. Also, the Board’s certification examinations have been approved for reimbursement by the VA as an educational benefit for eligible veterans. The American Board of Multiple Specialties in Podiatry is the only podiatric certification program accredited by URAC (formerly the Utilization Review Accreditation Commission) and by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) under the ISO International Standards ANSI/ISO/IEC/17024:2003 for Accreditation for Bodies Operating Certification of Persons. For more information, visit www.abmsp.org.
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Joan Campbell, Executive Director
212-356-0693
jcampbell@ptcny.com
Bonnie S Hayflick
PR Contact
904-679-5060
bonniepr@bellsouth.net
About ABMSP
The American Board of Multiple Specialties in Podiatry was originally organized by podiatrists for the purpose of granting board certification to office-based and ambulatory foot surgeons. Incorporated in 1986 as the American Institute of Foot Medicine (AIFM), the name was changed in 1992 to better reflect its mission. The Board now offers certification to qualified podiatrists in all areas of podiatric practice: Primary Care in Podiatric Medicine; Foot and Ankle Surgery, both in a hospital setting and in outpatient facilities; Prevention and Treatment of Diabetic Foot Wounds and Foot Wear; and Limb Preservation and Salvage. The California Board of Medicine, through the California Board of Podiatric Medicine, has authorized diplomates of the American Board of Multiple Specialties in Podiatry to advertise their certification from the Board in the State of California. Also, the Board’s certification examinations have been approved for reimbursement by the VA as an educational benefit for eligible veterans. The American Board of Multiple Specialties in Podiatry is the only podiatric certification program accredited by URAC (formerly the Utilization Review Accreditation Commission) and by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) under the ISO International Standards ANSI/ISO/IEC/17024:2003 for Accreditation for Bodies Operating Certification of Persons. For more information, visit www.abmsp.org.