Comprehensive Diabetic Foot Examination (CDFE)

Once you have been diagnosed with diabetes by your family doctor, they typically organize a series of visits to other specialists. Just as you have to go see your eye doctor to check your eyes, you should see a foot doctor for evaluation and management of possible diabetic foot complications. Medicare has found that the most effective treatment in lowering foot related diabetic morbidity is regular check ups to prevent complications and educate patients. They have developed guidelines for podiatrists to follow called the Comprehensive Diabetic Foot Examination (CDFE). The visit to the podiatrist for the diabetic will be more comprehensive in nature with more questions, more history taking and more diagnostic tests being performed. Each evaluation will place a diabetic patient into one of four categories based on risk factors for complication.

Table Category	Risk Factors	Frequency of Examination
0	No Neuropathy No other risk factors	Annual
1	Neuropathy	Semi-Annual
2	Neuropathy, Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD), and/or Deformity	Quarterly
3	Previous Ulcer Or Amputation	Every Month

The visit when this exam will be performed will take slightly longer than usual, so that we can collect a thorough history and educate you the patient, or your family, in hopes of preventing any diabetic foot complications. Please schedule an appointment today or ask your family doctor if you are diabetic and have never seen a podiatrist.