Types of foot problems seen by Australian podiatrists

doi:10.1016/j.foot.2011.11.002

The Foot

Volume 22, Issue 1, March 2012, Pages 40-45

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foot.2011.11.002 Get rights and content

Abstract

Background

Understanding frequency of foot problems can assist health care planners with resource deployment to new and emerging services such as paediatric podiatry and focus future research on the most salient foot conditions.

Methods

A review of 2187 patient consultations during a three month period was conducted. Patient medical and podiatric history was coded using industry standards. All patients were recruited for convenience from a metropolitan university podiatry clinic.

Results

392 new patients were identified with mean age 40.6 years old (range 1–95), with 65% being female. Arthritic diseases, asthma, hypertension and allergies were the most common medical conditions reported. The frequency of new consultations in younger people (n = 102; 27%) exceeded those of the elderly (n = 75; 20%). Conversely, the elderly were nearly three times more prevalent in this cohort (n = 910; 43%) compared to younger people (n = 332; 16%).

Conclusion

This study illustrates the diverse nature of pathology seen by podiatrists. Knowledge that skin lesions are highly prevalent is of relevance to health departments, given the aging nature of most populations. Moreover there appears to be a growing trend in the number of young people who present for care, however government funded access to these services are limited.

Section snippets

Background

Accurately establishing the incidence (defined as the number of new cases per unit of person-time at risk) and prevalence (defined as the total number of cases of the disease in a given population at a given time) of foot pathology is difficult. This is particularly so, given few large population-based studies have examined the characteristics of those who do and do not access podiatry services in Australia [1]. A range of demographic and personal factors can interact to produce a confusing

Methods

De-identified data was collected over a thirteen-week period from March to May 2007. A cross-sectional study design utilising a convenience sample of all consecutive patients who attended the clinic located in Brisbane, Australia were included in the study without exception. A university podiatry clinic was used, which was staffed (for 6 h per day, five days per week) by between two and four registered podiatry clinicians and small groups of undergraduate podiatry students. This clinic was

Study population

The study population used to generate the following data (n = 392) (Table 2) had a mean age of 40.6 (range 1–95) years. The male/female ratio was approximately 35–65% respectively. The proportion of the cohort with co-morbid conditions (most markedly arthritis and asthma) was approximately 54%.

Analysis was undertaken of the age range of new patients with specified foot conditions who presented for the first time to the clinic, and compared to the age range for all existing patients presenting in

Discussion

In a recent publication by the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission, Australian podiatry services were identified as being the most utilised of all allied health services available in the country, under the new Enhanced Primary Care Programme (Government funded Medicare rebate scheme) [25]. This new programme now allows for a general medical practitioner to refer directly to a podiatrist for up to five visits per annum, with the consultation costs to be met by the Government. The

Conclusion

Podiatry services, while well integrated into the health care system, are not necessarily well understood. This paper attempts to provide useful data about the type of people who use this service, and the nature of the more common treatments provided. Given the aging population and growing demand for podiatry services, a thorough knowledge of the types of problems treated by practitioners should assist health policy makers and government agencies with better planning of their limited resources.

Competing interests

There are no competing interests in the undertaking of this research, the manuscript preparation or dissemination of this research and knowledge.

Author's contributions

PB carried out the conceptualisation and design of the study, its implementation, data analysis and interpretation of results.

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the staff and students of the Queensland University of Technology for their assistance with the collection of data for this research.

Keith Rome from Auckland University of Technology with his assistance on previous versions of this manuscript.

Special thanks to Rachael Unsworth for her assistance with the preparation of the final version of this manuscript.

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Types of foot problems seen by Australian podiatrists

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Section snippets

Background

Methods

Study population

Discussion

Conclusion

Competing interests

Author's contributions

Acknowledgements

Pain

The Foot

The Foot

Pain

Predictors of podiatry utilisation in Australia: the North West Adelaide Health Study

Journal of Foot and Ankle Research

Clinical audit of core podiatry treatment in the NHS

Journal of Foot and Ankle Research

Podiatry towards 2000

Australian Podiatrist

Foot problems in the US, the 1990 national health survey

Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association

Prevalence of chronic podiatric conditions in the US, National Health Survey

Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association

Foot care data from two recent nationwide surveys: a comparative analysis

Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association

A review of the literature on the US foot health care system, part I

Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association

The chevron osteotomy: a clinical and radiographic analysis

Foot and Ankle

Setting standards for day care foot surgery

British Journal of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery

Whose best foot forward?

The Lancet