All patients with diabetes should receive basic foot care education at the start of care and the other time points indicted by OASIS-C based upon their risk assessment score as determined by agency policies. Reinforcement and retention assessment should occur at least as often as transfer of care or discharge.
Basic foot care education for patients with diabetes and their caregivers should include the following six elements:
- Awareness of personal risk factors
- Importance of at least an annual inspection of feet by a healthcare professional
- Daily self-inspection of feet
- Proper nail and skin care
- Injury prevention
- Knowledge of when to seek help or specialized referral
Education should be tailored to the patient’s current knowledge, risk factors, and individual needs, including cultural elements, reading level, and psychosocial/educational level while utilizing principles of adult learning.
Individuals assessed at higher risk for foot ulcer/amputation should be advised of their risk status and this information should be communicated to their primary care provider in an agency-specific manner for possible additional assessment or to specialized diabetes or foot care treatment and education teams as appropriate and designated in agency procedures and patient teaching materials.
Document your findings and the education that was performed in the designated section of the patient medical record.
This is an excerpt from the book, OASIS-C Process Measures: A Program for Best Practices Implementation, by April Perry, RN, APN, MEd, Laurie Salmons, RN, BSN, and Bobi Rose, RN, BSN, CWCN, CCCN. Learn more about the book here.
Fri, Apr 2, 2010
Best Practices