POD12PCS Podiatric Clinical Skills

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POD12PCS (Podiatric Clinical Skills)

• CASE STUDY ASSIGNMENT

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• 60 of final mark in this subject
• 1500 words
• Due on 2nd of October, 2006
• Penalty for late submission is 10 of total final
  mark per day late.

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What is a Case Study?

• Real or Theoretical patient scenario is provided.
• You are required to demonstrate, in the written
  form, how you would respond to the scenario in
  real life
• Designed to allow your examiner to see how you
  understand the clinical decision-making process

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• Mrs Dobbs is a fifty-five year old lady who
  enjoys walking her dog
• everyday. She presents to you complaining that
  her big toenails have
• become gradually thickened in recent months.
• On examination of her feet you notice that the
  feet are quite dry. There
• are areas of small blisters on the plantar
  aspects of both feet. Mrs
• Dobbs comments that her feet get very itchy at
  times and that this
• drives her up the wall. The big toenails are
  chauxic and demonstrate
• yellow and white streaks of discolouration. The
  nails also appear
• friable, particularly at the edges.
• You also notice an area of hyperkeratosis
  overlying the 2nd
• metatarsophalangeal joint of both feet which
  causes Mrs Dobbs pain
• when the skin gets too thick.
• Outline your differential diagnoses nominate
  your diagnosis of the
• patients presenting complaints justify your
  diagnosis your short-
• term/immediate treatment and long-term/ongoing
  management of this

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Clinical decision making process

• Identify relevant information
• Interpret this information to identify the
  patients presenting complaints/issues
• For each identifiable problem consider possible
  explanations for these
• Differential Diagnoses
• How will you find out about these?

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• Mrs Dobbs is a fifty-five year old lady who
  enjoys walking her dog
• everyday. She presents to you complaining that
  her big toenails have
• become gradually thickened in recent months.
• On examination of her feet you notice that the
  feet are quite dry. There
• are areas of small blisters on the plantar
  aspects of both feet. Mrs
• Dobbs comments that her feet get very itchy at
  times and that this
• drives her up the wall. The big toenails are
  chauxic and demonstrate
• yellow and white streaks of discolouration. The
  nails also appear
• friable, particularly at the edges.
• You also notice an area of hyperkeratosis
  overlying the 2nd
• metatarsophalangeal joint of both feet which
  causes Mrs Dobbs pain
• when the skin gets too thick.

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Clinical decision making process

• Nominate a Diagnosis for each problem
• Provisional diagnosis
• Should always be able to justify your nominated
  diagnosis
• In light of your nominated diagnoses, consider
  the immediate (short term) management and the
  ongoing (long term) management of these
  problems
• What sort of things might form a part of your
  treatment?

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What resources will I need?

• A special note about internet resources and
  website pages
• Be very selective about the websites you use and
  potentially extract information from
• Consider who is responsible for the information
  placed on the site eg. Drug company, lay person
• Minimise references used from internet websites
• Can make use of full text journal articles that
  can be accessed from the internet.

• The Case Study Assignment pack provided by MO
• Library
• Access to journal articles, podiatry texts,
  websites.
• American Psychological Association Referencing
  Style Guide.
• Study Skills Assistance Scheme booklet
• LTU Department of Podiatry Student Referencing,
  plagiarism written work submission Policy
• DO NOT USE SUBJECT MANUALS (eg. Dermatology
  Manual)

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How will I write my case study?

• Consider the assessment criteria and use these to
  help give your case study structure.
• Never write your case study in the 1st person
  ie. I would begin by examining Mrs Smiths foot
  and then I would.
• Mrs Smiths foot must be examined initially
  before.

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• Use appropriate subheadings.
• Be mindful of your word limit dont waffle.

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Referencing Plagiarism

• APA Style of referencing
• Any student who does not reference according to
  APA style correctly will be required to resubmit
  their assignment.
• Be familiar with the LTU Dept. of Podiatrys
  Student referencing, plagiarism written work
  submission policy.
• You must submit your case study assignment
  electronically to www.turnitin.com using the
  instructions provided.
• You must also submit a hardcopy of your
  assignment using the INDIVIDUAL SUBMISSION
  envelope provided to the School of Human
  Biosciences reception.