Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of pre-appointment consult screening to identify patients with autoimmune and inflammatory rheumatic disease (AIRD) and to evaluate the revenue implications of routine outpatient care of patients with AIRD compared to that of non-AIRD patients.
Methods: Using data in the electronic medical records, we retrospectively analyzed all new outpatients who were referred for rheumatology consults during a 9-month period for a final diagnosis and revenue generation for routine outpatient care over 1 year following the consult review or initial evaluation.
Results: A total of 961 patients were referred to the outpatient rheumatology clinic and underwent pre-appointment triage.
J Am Podiatr Med Assoc
January 2003
A study on the effect of sectioning the plantar fascia on the range of motion at the first metatarsophalangeal joint is presented. Dorsiflexion and plantarflexion range-of-motion data from 18 patients who had no first metatarsophalangeal joint pathology and had undergone an in-step plantar fasciotomy for recalcitrant plantar fasciitis were analyzed. The average increase in dorsiflexion of the first metatarsophalangeal joint after plantar fascia release was 9.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Am Podiatr Med Assoc
June 2000
The authors conducted a retrospective study of the release of the first branch of the lateral plantar nerve in the treatment of chronic heel pain unrelieved by conservative treatment modalities. A total of 17 patients (18 feet) were evaluated following external neurolysis for heel pain caused by entrapment of the first branch of the lateral plantar nerve. The average postoperative follow-up time was 32.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Am Podiatr Med Assoc
February 2000
A retrospective study was conducted on the use of the instep plantar fasciotomy for the treatment of recalcitrant plantar fasciitis. A total of 83 patients (94 feet) were analyzed. The average postoperative follow-up time was 20.
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