The National Medical Association (NMA), the nation’s oldest and largest medical association representing the interest of over 50,000 African American physicians and the patients they serve, and pharmaceutical company Pfizer are working together to raise awareness of painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN).
Peripheral neuropathy is nerve damage caused by chronically high blood sugar and is the most common complication of diabetes. With painful symptoms including burning and shooting pains in the hands and feet, and the feeling of sharp pins and needles, diabetic nerve pain is a growing problem in the black American community where an estimated 1 in 5 black Americans has diabetes. Black Americans are also nearly three times as likely as non-Hispanic whites to have a lower-extremity amputation due to diabetes complications.
Treating DPN is an important part of a patient’s overall diabetes management plan. To help address painful DPN with their clients, the NMA and Pfizer are making two new DPN diagnosis and treatment resources available to NMA members.
Painful DPN Waiting Room Poster: Early diagnosis of painful DPN is important. This waiting room poster raises awareness of painful DPN among patients with diabetes, prompting early and appropriate discussions about foot sensations that may be caused by painful DPN.
Painful DPN Patient Screener: In conjunction with the painful DPN Waiting Room Poster, Pfizer has created a waiting room screener that staff can give to their patients with diabetes. Using the screener, patients with painful DPN symptoms will collect enough information to have a meaningful discussion about painful DPN before they even enter the exam room.
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