Is Podiatry An Irrellevant Profession In The Eyes Of The Media

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Dear All,

In The Times today 22 04 2014 on page 17 was an interesting article titled:

Diabetics Have Feet Amputated Because Of NHS Care Failures :deadhorse:

Reading the article there was ABSOLUTELY NO Mention of the Humble and Futile Profession of PODIATRY.

I have been in Practice for over 25 years 20 years in the NHS and over 5 years in Private Practice.

I have watched and taken part in the development of services that target the Diabetic Population and has its remit as : Reduce the incidence of morbidity within the Diabetic population.

So when I read a leading responsible newspaper article on the tragedy that is the failure of management of complications of Diabetes by Patients. Specialists, Doctors Nurses oh and MUST NOT FORGET PODIATRISTS.

Why is there still this failure of our Profession to be considered part of the TEAM.

What can we do as a Profession to improve our Public and Media performance.

In my PP a few years ago I did health promotion days etc etc in a variety of environments in order to promote the Profession and my Practice.

Seems we are doomed to be a non entity as part of the Public, Medical and Media perception.

Ho Hum

I did try to make a difference over the years :deadhorse:

regards David

 

Had a 21 year old diabetic patient in my chair 4 weeks ago. He had been to another chiropodist in my city in the past.

I cut one toe nail that needed cutting, and filed off some dry skin B/calc. The rest of the consultation was advice. Advice on calf stretches, getting on top of tinea pedis and what can happen to a diabetic if left untreated, advice on daily foot checks, checking the insides of footwear before putting them on. I told him what a SCP lecture, "Can we halve the no. of lower limb amputations....", concluded.
Both him and his carer (also a diabetic) were both astounded at the advice that I was giving out, they had never been told it, by anyone!

When a diabetic comes to see me, they are tested annually for neuro-vas and given advice. I have had people come to me with possible emergencies, only to be reassured that all was OK. Yes, but if it was an emergency, getting it looked at and treated within 24 hours would have made all the difference!

It may take a generation before we are taken seriously by the media in which we have input into such a newspaper article.

 

the media only recognises that doctors and nurses work in the health service. they recognise managers work there also when thereis a scandel. Anual pay rises involve ''nurses and other professions'' Other professions like ours are valued in the health service by the doctors and nurses we work with. That has been my experience working as a diabetes specialist podiatrist now retired after 39 years. at the start of my career i heard a consultant say patients are at risk from too much chiropody -shocking! they would not say that now because their views are based on studies and by working along side us. Also from time to time Joe public will advance our cause . I hope i have uploaded an example for you. Aletter in my local paper

 

Let's get this matter in perspective. I recall asking at one of the major body's AGM some 30 years ago the amount of the budget for promotion. The answer? 'We don't need one, Hinders-Leslies do it for us'. After many years, a rather poor video was produced which featured a voice-over carried out by a member of the Council of that body, not a professional, and featuring, I believe, a worker at one of the schools pretending to be a medical consultant.

Promotion costs money, but it also requires a clear sighted and coordinated plan using the traditional media. With the greatest respect, you cannot rely on the public, or any other group to do it for you. Individuals can certainly do their bit (and the greatest esteem to them) but this is likely only to be effective locally. We now have social media which can be an enormously powerful and cheap method of spreading your message, but ultimately it is the media who count. Ask your professional body how much they devote to this purpose, precisely where and how the money is directed and what are the plans for, say, the next five years? You may be taken aback by the answer.

Bill Liggins

 

I think a profession is valued by its results and by its research output. Not by PR campaigns. People are more aware of Podiatry. I think the media have same level of ignorance as they do for dieticians ,physios and radiographers

 

With respect, I think not. If that were the case, we would be the most valued profession in the world! I'd be the last one to state that research PUBLISHED (emphasis not shouting) in prestigious journals is not important but that is read by other professionals, not the general media. We are our own worst enemies; how many have taken up the opportunity for independent prescribing fought for, notably by Martin Harvey and Judith Barbaro-Brown, as well as others? How many have gone forward to become Consultant Podiatric Surgeons? How have the profession used these huge leaps forward to project itself? I rest my case.

Bill Liggins

 

PR campaigns are immensely important in bringing the value and more importantly, the existence of our profession to the forefront of the collective conscious. When a person has a foot problem, we want them to think of seeing a Podiatrist First and PR helps to bring those thoughts to the layperson.

Who is not aware of Nike or Coke? Why is it that they continue to pump millions upon millions on marketing?

We have the substance behind the services we render but PR serves as a vehicle to bring forth awareness, credibility and prestige to the dedicated Podiatrists of our profession.

Steven

 

money spent on PR would have to come from the membership and any significant levy for this would likely lead to resignations from those members who have the luxury of employee vicarious liability
We are marginally lower profile than physios despite their running on to the field at premiership football matches and the like which are pure show business.
the media are not going to say where a foot is mentioned we must speak to a podiatrist,or where food is mentioned we must speak to a dietician ,or where back ache is mentioned we must speak to a physio.

 

I think that this is an interesting point, and it certainly is the case that for any tooth/jaw related pathology, one automatically thinks dental surgeon. Do you have any suggestions (other than research and results) how this profession can make the media think foot = pod?

All the best

Bill

 

Bill
It is going to be evolution not revolution and it takes all the things that make a profession respected including a degree of unity and not taking the opportunity to put one's fellow members down which i have noticed is tends to happen more in podiatry than other professions . I am not referring ,i hasten to add , to debate forums like this where argument is necessary and illuminating. I think the research output is the most important issue because i do not believe we are punching our weight. for instance i suspect that a small group of nurses (tissue viability nurses) have a greater research output per capita than us podiatrists. my own output of a couple of articles was curtailed by work pressure ,so it is difficult to achieve but just remember the medical profession is held in high regard despite harold shipman and a few others, because they are regarded as the repository of old knowledge and new knowledge.
Peter

 

I certainly agree concerning unity being notably missing in this profession and as mentioned above, I also agree concerning research. However, I have heard the 'evolution' argument for 40 years now and have not seen evidence that it works. Podiatric surgery in the UK made a huge breakthrough. Orthopods may not love it, but I guarantee that there is not one who has not heard of it and have a very good idea of what it consists. A similar thing could happen over POMs - and think of the research opportunities there, as well as the fantastic publicity. I fear we must agree to disagree over the general point made by the OP. I still hold that to penetrate the media, a sustained and well planned PR campaign is required, as eloquently described by Steven #7.

All the best

Bill

 

Do you recall a news bulletin a few years ago where an unsophisticated group of what i will call vigilantes could not tell the difference between the words pedophile and paediatrician and turned up at the home of a pediatrician to cause trouble. the unsophisticated part of the population does not know what an oncologist/podiatrist/endocrinologist does for a living until they are told they need one. i am not sure what evidence you require -i can only offer anecdotes.
i went on to ward and introduced mysel to old lady as hospital chiropodist in case she was more familiar with that word. her daughter arrived and said ''i thought they were sending for the podiatrist''
on another occasion a cryptosis came from A&E and i asked this out of area patient how they had come here. she said a nursing friend had said '' go to casualty and if there is a podiatrist on duty he will remove it''. Poor old joe public are not helped in all this by the chiropodist /podiatris name change.
standing in the hospital lift a young nurse sees my name tag and says ''whats a podiatrist''? Before i can answer an old gent pipes up''it comes from the greek 'podus' meaning' foot ' and' iatus' meaning' healer'. i was dumbstruck.