National variation in the composition of rheumatology multidisciplinary teams: a cross-sectional study.

The objective of this study is to describe the composition of multidisciplinary teams (MDT) working within rheumatology departments across the UK. All rheumatology departments in the United Kingdom (UK) were invited to participate in a national electronic survey between February 2014 and April 2015 as a part of a national audit for the management of rheumatoid and early inflammatory arthritis commissioned by Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership. Rheumatology departments were asked to report their MDT composition; defined as a rheumatologist (consultant or specialist trainee), specialist nurse, occupational therapist physiotherapist, and podiatrist. The data were collected as Whole Time Equivalent (WTE) of each professional group at each department adjusted to 100,000 population. The data were grouped according to British Society for Rheumatology regions to study regional variations. The survey was completed by 164/167 departments (98% response rate). All departments reported an MDT comprising a rheumatologist (consultant or specialist trainee) and almost all included a specialist nurse but only 28 (17%) of the departments had MDTs comprising all the professional groups. There was a high degree of regional variation in the provision of Allied Health Professionals (physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and podiatrists) in the UK. MDT care is recommended for the management of inflammatory arthritis, but few UK rheumatology departments have a full complement of healthcare professionals within their MDT. There is a high degree of regional variation in the composition and staffing levels of the rheumatology MDT across the UK; the impact of which warrants further investigation.

A historical and current analysis for the DPM acquiring an MD or DO degree and an unrestricted medical license.

The podiatric medical profession has evolved substantially in the past 80 years. This evolution includes major changes in scope, in the requirements necessary to enter a podiatric medical school, and in the curriculum that must be completed to earn the degree of Doctor of Podiatric Medicine. Entrance requirements to the schools are now identical to the prerequisites for admission to MD and DO institutions, and licensure requires the completion of graduate medical education. Much of the curriculum also is the same as it is in MD and DO schools. In the past decade, discussion focusing on the ability of the DPM to acquire the MD or DO degree has intensified. An analysis is provided using a historical context regarding this potential initiative.

Podiatric medicine: a current assessment.

Podiatric medicine had its own evolution in the medical field apart from allopathic and osteopathic medicine. Podiatrists are well-respected members of the health-care team and have earned recognition as physicians within their education, training, and credentialing processes. Unlike allopathic medical doctors and doctors of osteopathic medicine, whose scope of practice is based upon their education, training, and credentialing processes, podiatrists' scopes of practice are determined by state laws (and are often influenced by politics) with variances across the United States. In contrast to a lack of uniformity in the training and credentialing processes of an allopathic medical doctor, podiatrists complete a streamlined educational process that is competency-based and well-aligned from the undergraduate phase (podiatric medical school) to the postgraduate phase (residency) through the credentialing processes (licensure and certification). Podiatric medical students begin to directly engage in the specialty related to the diagnosis and treatment of the lower extremity much earlier in the educational process than an orthopedist, whose foot and ankle exposure is less extensive by comparison.

Posturología, podoposturología y homeopatía: nuevos horizontes terapéuticos en el nuevo milenio. Aproximaciones desde las humanidades y las ciencias / No disponible

El cuerpo, en la sociedad actual, aparece dentro de unaestereotipia frecuentemente alienante y estigmatizadora,en la que intervienen no sólo los imaginariosculturales, sino también aspectos mercantilistas ymediáticos, cuya ingerencia no parece nada positiva enlo que sería una visión integrada del cuerpo y todo ytodo lo que a el inherente: “ser humano”.Si añadimos a todo ello el hecho de que desde lasciencias se siguen utilizando paradigmas en excesocartesianos, que en su ortodoxia hacen un reduccionismodel cuerpo, se sesga de forma extrema supercepción, estudio y tratamiento. Estamos asistiendopues a una época difícil en la que la separaciónentre las diferentes concepciones de las ciencias,las humanidades y cosmovisiones, conforman unpuzzle complejo en su composición, que en estecaso afecta claramente a la visión global de cuerpo,postura y equilibrio.El artículo incita a un recorrido que, desde la evoluciónhumana y las diferentes concepciones de locorporal apuntando hacia perspectivas complejistas,reencontrando los primigenios aspectos humanizadorese integrativos del ser humano(AU)

The body, in present day society, appears within afrequently alienating and stigmatizing stereotype,in which intervene not only the cultural imaginariesbut also mercantilistic and mediatic aspects, theinclusion of which does not seem to be positive inwhat should be an integrated view of the body andeverything inherent of the "human being".If we add to this the fact that from the sciencesexcessive cartesian paradigms are still being used,that in their orthodoxy make a reductionism of thebody, slanting in an extreme way its perception, studyand treatment. We are therefore present in a difficultepoch in which the separation between the differentconcepts of the sciences, humanities andcosmovisions forms a puzzle complex in itscomposition, which in this case clearly affects theglobal view of body, posture and balance.The article incites one on a course from theevolution of man and the different conceptions ofthe body aiming towards complex perspectives,reencountering the primeval humanizing andintegrating aspects of the human being(AU)

Current trends in preoperative patient evaluation and management for podiatric surgeons.

In preparation for elective foot and ankle surgery, the podiatric surgeon often will refer the patient for a preoperative evaluation. Surgeons rely on the input of that consultant to provide a determination as to the operative risk for the patient. This article reviews the fundamental parts of the preoperative evaluation, perioperative patient management, and recent changes and trends within this arena.