Open Access‘Paging Podiatry!’: an audit of acute inpatient podiatry referrals
Author(s) -
Dallimore Sarah,
Richards Katrina
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of foot and ankle research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.763
H-Index - 39
ISSN - 1757-1146
DOI - 10.1186/1757-1146-4-s1-p13
Subject(s) - podiatry , medicine , staffing , audit , foot (prosody) , podiatrist , physical therapy , service (business) , medical emergency , emergency medicine , nursing , alternative medicine , surgery , complication , management , pathology , economics , linguistics , philosophy , economy
Background In 2010, the Box Hill Hospital podiatry department increased staffing levels from 0.6 to 1.6 EFT. Historically a limited High Risk Foot outpatient service, this increase meant there was more time available to build the much needed inpatient service. Promotion of the new service has resulted in a substantial increase in podiatry referrals from the acute wards. The Podiatry Department has also established close links with the Vascular Surgery Department and is a part of their Outpatient Clinic. Once received, the podiatry referrals are routinely triaged into prioritisation categories, according to the severity of the described complaint and any reported comorbidities. Category 1 and 2 referrals essentially revolve around active foot wounds and complications that require an immediate podiatry response. Category 3 and 4 referrals are less medically urgent and not seen as a priority to the service.