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I was recently at a Diabetes conference and one of the speakers,a dietitian,complained to an audience of over 100 professionals that she had never received a referral from a podiatrist.
I assured her later that I personally had suggested to some of my patients that they should seek further advice from other professionals like dietitians, especially in relation to diabetes.
Its prompted me to wonder if we are a little too 'precious' and insular about ourselves.Should we not be referring on more regularly to other therapists? In this instance,advice from a dietitian and weight loss would surely help a lot of our patients. We all know about those obese patients who walk through our clinic doors and almost instantly know they will complain about cracked heels!
I would be interested in 'feedback' from colleagues.
Re: Referring to other allied health professionals
Yes.
I recently attended a lecture by Judith Barbaro-Brown concerning misconceptions at the professional interface. I also recall a short piece of research carried out by Tom Galloway which showed that the audited GPs believed that the majority of IGTs were caused by podiatrists. The point being that the communication was appalling. The patients concerned had consulted a pod with an infected cryptosis and been directed to to see the GP for Rx antibiosis. The patient informed the GP that they had been to see a pod and had an IGT. The point is that no letter was sent, and since this is the normal medical protocol, the GP understandably assumed that the pod had caused the complaint.
With all due respect maz, it is not enough to suggest to a patient that they see whoever you might wish them to; if we desire the respect due to us, then we must conform to the medical model and put things in writing. A excellent second hand computer can be picked up for much less than £50.00 and I saw a brand new printer for sale at a local stationery shop for £20.00. 2 patients and your money back, but a vast increase in safety, prestige, professionalism and inter-professional communication.
All the best
Bill
The Following User Says Thank You to W J Liggins For This Useful Post:
Re: Referring to other allied health professionals
Bill
We see quite a few referrals here from others and l will say the only two groups that send a letter ahead of or with their client and they are Pyhsio's and Podiatrist and most pods will also get on the phone to be sure we got the information.
GP's rarely send a letter, "Sore foot please treat" or like the guy that was sent by his GP with "PF" and actually had a piece of metal in his foot. Who would ever think to get an X-ray done!
Maz
When was the last time you had a Dietitian walk in to your clinic to give you some business cards or promote themselves?
You cant just stand there and expect clients.
If l want referrals from pods l have to be at their conferences, l have to contact them, l have to be proactive, have you got my contact details
Re: Referring to other allied health professionals
Quote:
Originally Posted by Boots n all
Bill
We see quite a few referrals here from others and l will say the only two groups that send a letter ahead of or with their client and they are Pyhsio's and Podiatrist and most pods will also get on the phone to be sure we got the information.
GP's rarely send a letter, "Sore foot please treat" or like the guy that was sent by his GP with "PF" and actually had a piece of metal in his foot. Who would ever think to get an X-ray done!
Maz
When was the last time you had a Dietitian walk in to your clinic to give you some business cards or promote themselves?
You cant just stand there and expect clients.
If l want referrals from pods l have to be at their conferences, l have to contact them, l have to be proactive, have you got my contact details
I'm heartened that you find this to be the case Dave. Sadly, the U.K has to catch up!
Re: Referring to other allied health professionals
Quote:
Originally Posted by maz
I was recently at a Diabetes conference and one of the speakers,a dietitian,complained to an audience of over 100 professionals that she had never received a referral from a podiatrist.
I assured her later that I personally had suggested to some of my patients that they should seek further advice from other professionals like dietitians, especially in relation to diabetes.
Its prompted me to wonder if we are a little too 'precious' and insular about ourselves.Should we not be referring on more regularly to other therapists? In this instance,advice from a dietitian and weight loss would surely help a lot of our patients. We all know about those obese patients who walk through our clinic doors and almost instantly know they will complain about cracked heels!
I would be interested in 'feedback' from colleagues.
Maz:
Sounds like professional whining to me. I would probably get up and comment during the question and answer session that I had also never received a referral from a dietitian for all their obese patients who can't excercise due to foot pain.
Patients who are obese first need to want to lose weight before they will lose weight. No dietitian can do that for an individual....it has to come from within. In my practice, I have found that my female patients do better being referred to a weight loss program such as Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, etc. and, for my male patients, I also refer them to purchase one of the Atkins diet books and tell them discuss this diet with their family doctor rather than being counseled by a dietitian a few times.
Often times, a sincere discussion of the many health risks of obesity coming from the podiatrist is the first time that obese people seem to have been told by any doctor what kind of harm they are potentially doing to their body by being obese. I have this discussion nearly daily in my office with my patients....they don't necessarily like hearing it, but they respect me for taking their interests in mind enough to explain to them how much better they will feel once they get the weight off.
__________________
Sincerely,
Kevin
**************************************************
Kevin A. Kirby, DPM
Adjunct Associate Professor
Department of Applied Biomechanics
California School of Podiatric Medicine at Samuel Merritt College
Re: Referring to other allied health professionals
I'm fortunate in that I work at a Community Health Centre where Physio, Pod, DM Educators, Dieticians, OTs, Speech Therapists, etc all work in one big team.
We have an internal referral system and external to GPs, Specialists, etc.
Every DM client is asked if they have seen a DM Ed, Dietician, Pod, Physio and if not, then they are referred to said clinicians. GPs are informed of these referral and we feedback to each other on the results of our assessments.
It is time consuming and an afternoon a week is spent on referring to GPs, Specialist, hospitals, other Allied Health Clinicians, but I feel its well worth it for the improved client care.
We are fortunate in how our organisation is run, that this is possible, and I appreciate that the NHS is not structured the same. Also some clients refuse to be referred or say they will refer themselves and don't do so.
Some practises are set-up where suggestions for referral have to be sent to the GP for approval and initiation.
Private practises could have an arrangement with Dieticians where they have each others cards, contact details and refer clienhts to each other... possibly?
It is something all Podiatrists can make an effort to do, but as we all work in different environments and countries and have different laws and regs to meet, it's not as black and white as we'd like.
Well... off my soap-box now, time for a coffee
__________________
Duct tape is like The Force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together.
Re: Referring to other allied health professionals
Quote:
Originally Posted by maz
a dietitian,complained to an audience of over 100 professionals that she had never received a referral from a podiatrist
I have never had a referral from a dietitian ...
__________________ Craig Payne
__________________________________________________ ___________________________________ Follow me on Twitter | Run Junkie God put me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things - right now I am so far behind, I will never die.
Referring to other allied health professionals
Who would ever think to get an X-ray done!
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