DR. JOHN A. HARDY SHARES AN ARTICLE REGARDING PODIATRISTS AND PEDORTHISTS

 

 

PODIATRIST, DR. BARRY H. BLOCK, DPM, JD, EDITOR - IN - CHIEF OF PODIATRY MANAGEMENT STATES, "WHEN IT WAS FIRST ANNOUNCED THAT THE PEDORTHIC FOOT ASSOCIATION WAS HOLDING THEIR MEETING IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE APMA ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC MEETING, THERE WAS A LOUD CRY OF PROTESTS FROM A SMALL, BUT VOCAL, GROUP OF PODIATRISTS.  THEIR OBJECTION WAS PREMISED ON THE IDEA THAT PEDORTHISTS ARE OUR COMPETITORS AND WE ARE INVITING THEM TO ENCROACH ON OUR TURF.

THE INTERESTING IRONY IS THAT A HALF-CENTURY AGO, WHEN PODIATRISTS BEGAN TO PERFORM FOOT (AND LATER ANKLE) SURGERY, ORTHOPEDIC SURGEONS VOICED SIMILAR SENTIMENTS AND ATTEMPTED TO LIMIT OUR SCOPE OF PRACTICE.  FIFTY YEARS AGO, MANUFACTURING ORTHOTIC DEVICES AND MODIFYING FOOTGEAR WERE SUBJECTS TAUGHT IN OUR PODIATRIC COLLEGES AND PRACTICED IN OUR OFFICES.  UNFORTUNATELY IN PODIATRY'S QUEST TO BECOME FOOT AND ANKLE SURGEONS, WE HAVE ABROGATED MUCH OF OUR FORMER EXPERTISE AND CREATED A VOID WHICH HAS BEEN FILLED BY PEDORTHISTS.

PEDORTHISTS AND PODIATRISTS ARE PART OF TODAY'S HEALTHCARE TEAM.  WHILE THEIR EDUCATION AND TRAINING OF THE CPEDS DOES NOT QUALIFY THEM IN AREAS SUCH AS MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF FOOT CONDITIONS, THEY NEVERTHELESS SERVE AS IMPORTANT PODIATRIC PHYSICIANS EXTENDERS AND CAN ASSIST PODIATRISTS IN  MANY FOOTWEAR-RELATED FUNCTIONS.

PODIATRY MANAGEMENT IS AND HAS BEEN THE ONLY PODIATRIC PERIODICAL TO PUBLISH AN ANNUAL MULTI-ARTICLE FOOTWEAR SECTION.  THIS PROVIDES UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION FOR THOSE PRACTITIONERS WHO WISH TO INCORPORATE (OR CONTINUE TO INCORPORATE) THIS AREA INTO THEIR PRACTICES.  WE ENCOURAGE ALL OTHERS TO SUPERVISE PEDORTHISTS IN THESE FUNCTIONS.  AFTER ALL, THE GOAL IS TO BEST SERVE PATIENTS, NOT TO WIN A TURF WAR."

I WISH THAT THESE SENTIMENTS COULD BE HONESTLY AND OPENLY EXPRESSED REGARDING THE FOOTCARE PRACTITIONERS IN ONTARIO AS THERE ARE MANY SIMILIAR COMPARISONS TO MADE.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY DR. JOHN A. HARDY, OWNER OF ACADEMY FOOT AND ORTHOTIC CLINICS.

 

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