Foot Health Top 10
- How does poor foot health impact on people's lives (including work, leisure and social activities)?
- What can people who are categorised as 'high risk' do to prevent foot health problems (e.g. people with poor circulation, diabetes or other conditions that could cause serious foot problems)?
- How important are specialised tests (such as diagnostic ultrasound imaging/advanced vascular and gait/functional assessment) learned at post-graduate level, in the diagnosis of foot health problems?
- What is the impact on health and social care services when known foot health problems are neglected?
- Are current clinical pathways (treatment plans) fit for delivering high quality foot health provision?
- What is the impact of delayed or infrequent foot assessment on foot health in relation to foot problems?
- What are the most effective therapies for treating musculoskeletal foot problems, OTHER THAN foot orthoses?
- What evidence is there that foot health research is used in clinical practice and the impact that it has on clinical outcomes?
- How do health professionals prevent/reduce the risk of foot ulceration occurring or getting worse, in patients with diabetes?
- How can people prevent foot health problems?
The following questions were also discussed and put in order of priority at the workshop:
- What are the most effective ways of managing foot problems for people with inflammatory disease (e.g. conditions such as rheumatoid or inflammatory arthritis)?
- Do foot orthoses (including insoles/gel devices/ankle supports) reduce foot pain and problems?
- What education and training do health care professionals (other than podiatrists) require about foot health, in order to accurately assess feet and refer on?
- Would the early assessment of foot health in school age children by health care practitioners, inform future management of pathology (including potential foot deformity/skin and nail problems) in the UK / Republic of Ireland?
- What are the most effective ways to provide education about foot health to the general public?
- What level of priority is given to foot health services within the National Health Service in the UK? Health Service Executive (republic of Ireland)?
- How do health professionals provide people with clear guidance on footwear choices in order to help prevent and manage foot problems?
- What are the most common factors that PREVENT people from accessing National Health Service/Public foot health services?
- What are the best ways to treat toe deformities (e.g. bunions, clawed toes, hammer toes)?
- What are the best ways to treat pain that occurs under the heel (plantar heel pain)?
- How can foot problems be better represented in the care plan of people with rheumatological disease (e.g rheumatoid or inflammatory arthritis)?
- How are common nail and skin foot infections caused, diagnosed and treated? How can they be prevented?
- What are the most effective ways to enable people to care for their feet?
- Is there equal access to foot care across the National Health Service (UK) and Health Service Executive (Republic of Ireland)? And what would make access unequal?
- Who are the appropriately qualified health professionals that people should go and see about their foot problems?
- What general information do people need to know about arthritis of the feet?
- How do people currently access foot health services for the FIRST TIME, via the National Health Service/Public foot health services?
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For full details of all of the questions identified by this PSP, please see the document below.