The role of the Podiatry Assistant in supporting patients to self manage the health of their feet

Beschrijving

Abstract presentation
Patients with chronic conditions often develop preventable problems, due to lack of adherence to advice from the podiatrist. Social support provided by the professional (e.g. education, reinforcement) is identified to facilitate adherence. However, limited consultation time is available. The Podiatry-Assistant (PA) is a new role developed to provide support in promoting self-management.

The aim of this research is to evaluate the impact of the podiatry assistant on the perceived social support by patients and the perspective of PA's and podiatrists on their role in relation to social support. Through a mixed methods approach, we collected survey results from patients (n = 138) and PA's (n = 7), conducted patient interviews (n = 6), and focus groups with PA's (n = 6) and podiatrists (n = 3).

Overall, Patients felt well-supported in understanding and performing the advised self-management actions, beyond the regular podiatrist-provided information, rating PA support with a 7.8. Social support through motivational coaching was perceived by only half of patients. Challenges remain in therapy-adherence; patients noted that they often forget the prescribed advice.

PA's rated their perceived ability to support patients with a 7.6, highlighting their ability to comfort patients and help them with relevant advice and information. Yet they found that there was often too little time to offer proper social support. Furthermore, they describe that helping patients set goals didn't always work out.

This research provides insights into how the role of the PA can be shaped in podiatric practice to support patients in promoting self-management.

Periode	14 apr 2026
Evenementstitel	Global Podiatry Summit 2026: Brick by brick - building podiatry for the future
Evenementstype	Congres
Locatie	Kopenhagen, DenemarkenToon op kaart
Mate van erkenning	Internationaal