Patient and Podiatrist perspectives on foot orthotics

NewsBot · Aug 28, 2024

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The experiences of podiatrists prescribing custom foot orthoses and patients using custom foot orthoses for foot pain management in the United Kingdom: A focus group study
Emily Leach, Emma Cowley, Catherine Bowen
J Foot Ankle Res. 2024 Sep;17(3):e12047. doi: 10.1002/jfa2.12047.

Introduction: Foot pain can be a significant burden for patients. Custom foot orthoses (CFOs) have been a mainstay in podiatry treatment for foot pain management and improving foot function. However, little is known about podiatrists' experience of prescribing CFOs or patient experience of using foot orthoses (FOs), including CFOs, for foot pain.

Methods: A focus group (FG) discussion with three FOs users (Female = 2 and Male = 1) was conducted in November 2022 within a private podiatry practice. This group represented non-experts from the general local population of individuals with existing or previous foot pain who have personally experienced using either over-the-counter FOs or CFOs. An online FG discussion with five musculoskeletal (MSK) specialist podiatrists (Female = 2 and Male = 3) was also conducted in December 2022. This group represented podiatrists with specialist knowledge in foot biomechanics and clinical experience in CFO provision. The FG discussions were recorded and lasted 49 and 57 min respectively. Transcribed data was manually coded, and a thematic analysis was undertaken to identify patterns within the collected data.

Results: The participants in the patient FG detailed mixed experiences of the prescription process and CFOs received, with reports of limited involvement/input in their prescription, the need for frequent adjustments and high costs. The impact on footwear choices, replicability and transferability of CFOs into different types of shoes and technologies to aid design were also highlighted. In the podiatrist FG, lack of confidence in design and manufacture processes, prescription form language, relationship and communication building with manufacturers, variability in the CFOs issued and the need for better student education in CFO provision emerged as key themes.

Conclusion: Patients and podiatrists shared similar views on CFO provision, namely poor communication with manufacturers leading to dissatisfaction with the CFOs prescribed causing negative impacts on patient experiences. Podiatrists called for greater education at registration level to increase new graduate podiatrist knowledge in CFO design and manufacture and better collaboration with manufacturing companies.
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Brian A. Rothbart · Sep 4, 2024

Lawyers will become savvy, in time, and will start suing Podiatrists for prescribing orthotics without first establishing a diagnosis.

Foot pain is not a diagnosis, it is an observation.

Patient and Podiatrist perspectives on foot orthotics

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Brian A. Rothbart Well-Known Member

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Patient and Podiatrist perspectives on foot orthotics

NewsBot The Admin that posts the news.

Brian A. Rothbart Well-Known Member

Podiatrists' perspectives on their role in promoting self-care in high-risk patients with diabetes

Hobart- Public Sector Part time Community Podiatrist & Senior Inpatient Podiatrist position

Podiatrist had sex with patient, sent explicit texts

Inpatient Podiatrist Position - St George Hospital, Sydney

Dealing with the death of a long term patient; what is the impact and how do podiatrists cope?

Patient Claims Podiatrist Acted as Psychiatrist

'Bullying Podiatrist who mocked patient's feet is kicked out of the profession'

Share This Page

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