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societies: most important or influential

Discussion in 'United Kingdom' started by Phil Morris, Aug 2, 2011.

  1. Phil Morris

    Phil Morris Member


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    Hello,

    im trying to do some research what societies or authorities would you say are the most important / influential to the orthotic and prosthetic side of things for FHP's?

    i have been looking at SOCAP and Institute of Chiropodists and Podiatrists but are there any more that are classed as important?

    thanks all
     
  2. Podiatry Arena; PFOLA (prescription foot orthotic laboratory association); i-fab (International foot and Ankle Biomechanics) etc. each country will have their own, Phil. What is the meanz to your endz?
     
  3. Phil Morris

    Phil Morris Member

    with my limited experiance with podiatry i am trying to understand should an orthotics company be registered with a society, the same as FHP's are generally registered, if this is true then whom would / should be the governing body?
     


  4. Some years ago one of the Sheridan family (Jamie?) from Algeos, tried to get a trade association going... I don't know whatever happened to it. It was going to be a UK version of PFOLA, I think. PFOLA, used to put on a good conference and fund research into foot orthotic therapy. In the UK right now, there is probably no reason for an orthotics lab to be affiliated with any society. It would, however, be really great if all of the UK based labs and those with vested interest in foot orthoses manufacturing got together and put on one hell of a biomechanics conference each year, rather than all doing their own things. If they helped to orchestrate and fund a structured research programme into foot orthoses that would be even more productive.... I guess in this day and age it's too much to ask for, given the vested interests involved, not to mention the conflicting ego's. Moreover, as Kevin pointed out in his recent Podiatry Today article, too often these days conferences and/ or presentations within them are nothing more than thinly disguised infomercials... we've all watched them. Product placement is pervasive.


    If you are looking for the best place to promote Langer group, again it depends on where in the world you are targeting and specifically what you are promoting at the time. For example, you may be better promoting a shoe in the UK with the prosthetists/ orthotists than with the podiatrists, since as far as I know, prescription footwear is still, in the main, in the hands of these professions within the NHS.

    Hopefully Mac who used to chair PFOLA will comment. Or Jeff who is the current chair can let us know the current state of affairs at PFOLA. I'm sure Kevin can give some background to this association too.
     
  5. Phil Morris

    Phil Morris Member

    Thanks for this Simon, google is not too helpful when you are struggling to use the correct terminology
     
  6. Drop me a private e-mail, let me know what you are really trying to find out and I'll point you in the right direction.:drinks
     
  7. rosherville

    rosherville Active Member

    'there is probably no reason for an orthotics lab to be affiliated with any society'

    If it facilitated an exchange of ideas, it could be useful.

    If for regulation ? an orthotic is just a piece of material put in a shoe, with the hope that it does some good; sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn`t.
    No different from a shoe, sometimes it helps a foot, sometimes it doesn`t.

    We don`t want shoe sellers regulated, do we ?
     
  8. Catfoot

    Catfoot Well-Known Member

    Phil Morris,
    I don't understand your original question. Most FHPs do not provide orthotics and their training does not cover the provision of prosthetics.

    Orthotic labs are businesses and do not ally themselves to any particular Professional Body. Neither does any Professional body recommend any particular lab.

    regards

    Catfoot
     
  9. Phil Morris

    Phil Morris Member

    Catfoot,

    to put it quick and dirty if you are looking for a gas plumber in the UK you would look for someone who is "corgi" registered so i was applying a simular logic for FHPs and orthotic labs

    but by the looks of it this seems not to be the case apart from is the practitioner HPC registered

    regards
     
  10. Ian Drakard

    Ian Drakard Active Member

    Hi Phil

    Correct me if I'm wrong but you may not have understood Catfoots point. Whilst by definition podiatrists/chiropodists are foot health professionals, most would take a (varying) degree of offence if called a Foot Health Professional because this has been approprated as a 'title' for someone not qualified to call themselves Chiropodist/Podiatrist.
    Apologies if I've misunderstood.
     
  11. Catfoot

    Catfoot Well-Known Member

    Phil Morris,
    There is no national register for FHPs that is available to the public.
    Apparently, there is a Voluntary Register somewhere but as no-one has had access to it it, it is doubtful that it exists. in any event even if it did exist it is not related to level of training or competence as it seems any FHP can put their name on it. (One can only speculate what its purpose is.)

    FHPs are not regulated by Statute, Chiropodists/Podiatrists are.

    HTH

    Catfoot
     
  12. Phil Morris

    Phil Morris Member

    thanks Catfoot,

    sorry if anyone took offence to the FHP's general catagorisation, i didnt know that many are not qualified to do podiatry.

    schoolboy error on my behalf
     
  13. joejared

    joejared Active Member

    Registering with anything state-side is purely for marketing purposes and otherwise pretty much meaningless.
     
  14. fishpod

    fishpod Well-Known Member

    phil morris, none are qualified to practice podiatry not many.
     
  15. RobinP

    RobinP Well-Known Member

    Phil,

    I assume you were asking with reference to Allied Health Professionals who are involved with things pertaining to the feet.

    As opposed to actual foot health professionals(FHP).

    Don't worry about it. The FHP siren went off when you accidentally misused the term. I don't think it has any bearing on the question you are asking. Lack of correct terminology is not tolerated on this forum you know ;)

    To answer your question. It depends on what you mean by influential?

    If you mean, who drives the way in which we work and changes to thinking in foot ankle biomechanics, then a reasonable answer would be this forum

    If you are asking which professional body has members that might be valuable to your business, the society might be the most relevant. That being said BAPO is responsible for orthotists and there are an awful lot of orthotists with very large budgets for provision of foot orthoses and as a rule, they like custom made things.

    Just my thoughts
    Robin
     
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