Purpose/Rationale: The purpose of this pilot study is to determine the effectiveness of a foot care program using a 3-dimensional soft-foot model as a teaching tool in describing basic foot care to individuals who have been identified at risk for limb loss.

Methodology: This is a randomized 2- group study in which the sample was drawn from the VA Hospital- San Diego. The dependent variables are locus of control, knowledge, and patients' perception of effectiveness of the foot model. Each subject was screened utilizing the VA Foot Assessment and Teaching Form. A self-administered 15-item disease non-specific locus of control was requested of each participant for assessing the individuals' perception of health care locus of control. An 11-item demographics questionnaire was obtained. A 15-item true/false knowledge test was given pre and post interventions of foot care/foot wear education, screening, and treatment.

Results: Twenty-three male veterans were enrolled into the study. There was 78% Caucasian, 17% African American, and 5% Mexican American. The subjects ranged in age from 47-85 years. The majority of the subjects had lower extremity arterial disease with diabetes as the second highest incidence. There was a slightly higher score on the baseline knowledge test for the group that used the soft foot model but no true significance.

Conclusion: The project's clinical relationship is to support the hypothesis that a 3-dimensional soft foot model is an effective educational tool that is practical, easy to use, non-threatening to the patient and able to be manipulated for individuality in teaching/learning. This author believes that education is an essential component of foot care behavior to prevent injuries leading to amputation. With use of a 3-D foot model, it meets the needs of visual and kinetic learners, which could promote retention of information learned.