Occupational stress in Podiatrists

NewsBot · Jan 13, 2015

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OCCUPATIONAL STRESS AMONG AUSTRALIAN PODIATRISTS IN GENERAL AND GERIATRIC PRACTICE: A PILOT STUDY.
Paul D. Tinley, PhD
Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association In-Press.

BACKGROUND: High levels of occupational stress have been reported in podiatrists practising in Australia. One possible stressor is the predominance of the treatment of aged patients with chronic disease in Podiatry practice.

METHODS:Forty (40) Podiatrists attending a regional podiatry conference were invited to participate in the research using a convenience sampling method. Podiatrists were asked to complete a survey examining occupational stress in general and specifically in relation to practice with older adults (defined as those over the age of sixty five).

RESULTS:The survey of sources of occupational stress among podiatrists has identified that patient demands and expectations are the most significant stressor both in general and in geriatric practice for the Podiatrist. The perceived limited clinical gains and chronic nature of their conditions in older patients was also ranked highly as a stressor.

CONCLUSIONS:Working with the elderly is a significant part of podiatry practice and as such needs to be seen with more positive attitude by many practitioners. The development of geriatric practice as a speciality within the profession may help to raise the value of working with the elderly. This has implications for preparing podiatrists for practice with the geriatric population along with the need for strategies to avoid or minimise these work stressors.
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Admin2 · Jan 13, 2015

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Elizabeth Humble-Thomas · Jan 17, 2015

I have worked for over thirty years at my city centre practice. I suffer from very little work related stress for a number of reasons: if I treat every patient (many very elderly) to the very best standard with scalpel work, peri-ungual nail work, then silicone toe orthoses and palliative insoles and shoe advice, then the outcome, whatever the age of the patient, is positive. In fact my patients often comment that the only part of their bodies that seems to continually improve, is their well-maintained feet.
If I have worked effectively, be it nail surgery or verrucca treatment or a referral to another specialist, then I can go home from work and not have to worry about my patients.
I will sound unbearably smug now, but my patients trust in my care for them, and so are willing to pay well for their treatment, so not too many financial problems either.
Compared to, for example dentists, we are allowed an enormous amount of autonomy, so as long as we and our colleagues police ourselves effectively, podiatry should be a fairly stress-free profession.

NewsBot · Dec 19, 2017

Health and Safety in Podiatric Medicine
Findings from a National Survey of Irish Podiatric Physicians
Victoria Hogan et al
Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association: November 2017, Vol. 107, No. 6, pp. 522-530.

Background: Much of the research into health and safety in podiatric medicine to date has focused on measuring particular hazards. This study examines legislative awareness and compliance in Irish podiatric medical practices and aspects of health and safety practice.

Methods: Podiatric physicians practicing in Ireland completed a cross-sectional questionnaire survey that included measures of health and safety knowledge and awareness, compliance with legislative requirements, perceived risks, and health status.

Results: Of 250 podiatric physicians who were contacted, 101 completed the survey (response rate, 40%). Legislative knowledge and compliance were low among respondents. A Student t test revealed that the use of safety control measures was more frequent among podiatric physicians in practice for less than 20 years (P < .05). Musculoskeletal disorders and back injuries were the most frequently reported health concerns.

Conclusions: This study demonstrates the need for interventions to increase awareness of legislative requirements among podiatric physicians as a first step to increase levels of regulatory compliance.
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