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UK podiatrists’ experiences of podiatry services for people living with arthritis: a qualitative investigation

UK podiatrists’ experiences of podiatry services for people living with arthritis: a qualitative investigation
UK podiatrists’ experiences of podiatry services for people living with arthritis: a qualitative investigation
Background: provision of podiatry services, like other therapies in the UK, is an area that lacks guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Many individuals living with arthritis in the UK are not eligible to access NHS podiatry services. The primary aim of this investigation was to understand the views of podiatry clinicians on their experiences of referral, access, provision and treatment for foot problems for patients who have arthritis.

Methods: focus groups were undertaken to explore, in-depth, individual views of podiatrists working in the UK to gain feedback on experiences of barriers and facilitators to referral, access, provision and treatment for foot problems for individuals living with arthritis. A purposive sampling strategy was adopted and two, semi-structured, focus group interviews conducted, involving 12 podiatrists from both NHS and independent sectors. To account for geographical variations one focus group took place in each of 2 predetermined ‘zones’ of the UK; Yorkshire and Hampshire. Thematic analysis was employed to identify key meanings and report patterns within the data.

Results: the key themes derived from the podiatry clinician focus groups suggest a variety of factors influencing demand for, and burden of, foot pain within the UK. Participants expressed frustration on having a service that accepts and treats patients according to their condition, rather than their complaint. Additionally, concern was conveyed over variations in the understanding of stakeholders’ views of what podiatry is and what podiatrists aim to achieve for patients.

Conclusion: podiatrists interviewed believed that many individuals living with arthritis in the UK are not eligible to access NHS podiatry services and that this may be, in part, due to confusion over what is known about podiatry and access criteria. Essentially, podiatrists interviewed called for a timely renaissance of current systems, to newer models of care that meet the foot care needs of individual patients’ circumstances and incorporate national multi-disciplinary guidance. Through this project, we have formulated key recommendations that are directed towards improving what other stakeholders (including GPs, commissioners and users of podiatry services) know about the effectiveness of podiatry and also to futureproof the profession of podiatry.
1757-1146
McCulloch, Louise
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Borthwick, Alan
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Redmond, Anthony
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Edwards, Katherine
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Pinedo Villanueva, Rafael
d038070d-b785-4ec9-9b27-4724561fd6ef
Prieto-Alhambra, Daniel
e596722a-2f01-4201-bd9d-be3e180e76a9
Judge, Andrew
b853f89f-dc44-428e-9fe2-35e925544abe
Arden, Nigel K.
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Bowen, Catherine
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McCulloch, Louise
872abd51-3514-4522-8bf2-b601de8b167b
Borthwick, Alan
b4d1fa51-182d-4296-b5fe-5b7c32ef6f9d
Redmond, Anthony
c8d932ed-512b-477b-9d28-bf891bab8e21
Edwards, Katherine
4c1691ce-c418-4a6c-9637-b5dd76b0be79
Pinedo Villanueva, Rafael
d038070d-b785-4ec9-9b27-4724561fd6ef
Prieto-Alhambra, Daniel
e596722a-2f01-4201-bd9d-be3e180e76a9
Judge, Andrew
b853f89f-dc44-428e-9fe2-35e925544abe
Arden, Nigel K.
0f42ab7a-9e94-4f9e-aa45-20d061acab28
Bowen, Catherine
fd85c3c5-96d9-49b8-86c6-caa94e1a222b

McCulloch, Louise, Borthwick, Alan, Redmond, Anthony, Edwards, Katherine, Pinedo Villanueva, Rafael, Prieto-Alhambra, Daniel, Judge, Andrew, Arden, Nigel K. and Bowen, Catherine (2018) UK podiatrists’ experiences of podiatry services for people living with arthritis: a qualitative investigation. Journal of Foot and Ankle Research, 11, [27]. (doi:10.1186/s13047-018-0262-5).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Background: provision of podiatry services, like other therapies in the UK, is an area that lacks guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Many individuals living with arthritis in the UK are not eligible to access NHS podiatry services. The primary aim of this investigation was to understand the views of podiatry clinicians on their experiences of referral, access, provision and treatment for foot problems for patients who have arthritis.

Methods: focus groups were undertaken to explore, in-depth, individual views of podiatrists working in the UK to gain feedback on experiences of barriers and facilitators to referral, access, provision and treatment for foot problems for individuals living with arthritis. A purposive sampling strategy was adopted and two, semi-structured, focus group interviews conducted, involving 12 podiatrists from both NHS and independent sectors. To account for geographical variations one focus group took place in each of 2 predetermined ‘zones’ of the UK; Yorkshire and Hampshire. Thematic analysis was employed to identify key meanings and report patterns within the data.

Results: the key themes derived from the podiatry clinician focus groups suggest a variety of factors influencing demand for, and burden of, foot pain within the UK. Participants expressed frustration on having a service that accepts and treats patients according to their condition, rather than their complaint. Additionally, concern was conveyed over variations in the understanding of stakeholders’ views of what podiatry is and what podiatrists aim to achieve for patients.

Conclusion: podiatrists interviewed believed that many individuals living with arthritis in the UK are not eligible to access NHS podiatry services and that this may be, in part, due to confusion over what is known about podiatry and access criteria. Essentially, podiatrists interviewed called for a timely renaissance of current systems, to newer models of care that meet the foot care needs of individual patients’ circumstances and incorporate national multi-disciplinary guidance. Through this project, we have formulated key recommendations that are directed towards improving what other stakeholders (including GPs, commissioners and users of podiatry services) know about the effectiveness of podiatry and also to futureproof the profession of podiatry.

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UK podiatrists' experiences of podiatry services for people living with arthritis: a qualitative investigation - Accepted Manuscript
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Accepted/In Press date: 4 May 2018
e-pub ahead of print date: 5 June 2018
Published date: 2018

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 421235
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/421235
ISSN: 1757-1146
PURE UUID: 974859e0-95e6-4ddf-945c-634ca76022da
ORCID for Catherine Bowen: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-7252-9515

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Date deposited: 25 May 2018 16:30
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 03:23

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Contributors

Author: Louise McCulloch
Author: Alan Borthwick
Author: Anthony Redmond
Author: Katherine Edwards
Author: Rafael Pinedo Villanueva
Author: Daniel Prieto-Alhambra
Author: Andrew Judge
Author: Nigel K. Arden
Author: Catherine Bowen ORCID iD

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