This is a little off-topic but as long as diabetic flow sheets are being discussed I began thinking what things I would wish to see tracked there. I guess I will have to open myself up to criticism and perhaps disclose my idiocy but, of what real use is monofilament testing in diabetes? Does it in anyway change the way one should manage a diabetic? If it is normal and the patient is asymptomatic does that mean I do not have to discuss potential foot issues with them and continue to urge them to control their sugars? Can I then ignore an elevated HgBA1C and not work as hard to normalize it? Can I stop checking their feet routinely? Would it give them a false sense of good health and assist them with the possible denial of the seriousness of their disease? If it is abnormal I suspect it might give me more ammunition to use to urge the patient to control their sugars but would I not do this anyway? What would I do for a patient whose test is positive that I would not do for one whose test is negative? I am very much open to being enlightened on this subject. I just have a need to know what I should be doing differently based on the results of this test. If I am already doing what I should, why do I need to do it? And why do I need to show 3rd party payors that I have done it?
Leslie
