Clinic foot screening guide: plantar thermal protocol
This guide outlines a practical twelve-point plantar temperature screening workflow for diabetic foot clinics, using left-right comparison to identify early inflammation.
The six zones
Each foot is divided into six zones: the great toe (hallux), the 1st metatarsal head, the 2nd–5th metatarsal heads, the midfoot, the lateral border, and the heel. PodiaScan records temperature in each zone and compares the matching zone on the opposite foot.
Screening workflow
- Explain the procedure and confirm the patient has no open wounds.
- Ask the patient to rest seated for 10–15 minutes before measuring.
- Record each zone with a handheld infrared thermometer, holding the sensor 1–2 cm from the skin.
- Enter or sync readings into PodiaScan in the same order each time.
- Review the contralateral delta for each zone automatically.
- Document any hotspots, visual findings and action taken.
Interpreting the delta
- Below 1.5 °C: normal variation. Continue routine review.
- 1.5 °C to 2.1 °C: warning zone. Increase monitoring, consider footwear and activity review, and recheck within 24–48 hours.
- 2.2 °C or above: high-inflammation alert. Examine the foot closely, off-load pressure, and refer or escalate according to clinic protocol.
Documentation and follow-up
PodiaScan stores every session, calculates a 90-day trend, and exports a PDF report with the temperature grid, deltas and summary status. Use these reports for MDT meetings, patient education and audit.