Scope of Work Template Speaking - PowerPoint

							                     The Role and Scope of Practice of the Podiatrist
                            in Modern Health Care in Ireland
                                                  Students of the first cohort of Podiatry at NUI Galway
                                    School of Health Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, Ireland


What is Podiatry?                                     Who do Podiatrists Treat?                                     What qualifications should a podiatrist have?


Podiatry is a medical profession which deals with     Podiatrists will treat anyone with foot problems from birth   In Ireland Podiatrists undertake a four year Bachelor of
the health and disorders of the lower limb and        to old age. Particular patient groups include the elderly,    Science (Honours) degree. The programme includes subjects
foot. A podiatrist works as an autonomous             people living with diabetes, children and people presenting   such as:
practitioner and will assess, diagnose and treat a    with abnormalities/ deformities/ foot pathologies.            •Physiology
wide range of lower limb disorders.                                                                                 •Anatomy
                                                                                                                    •Professional Development
What is the difference between                         What is the scope of practice of a podiatrist?               •Theory of Podiatry
Podiatry and Chiropody?                                                                                             •Clinical studies
                                                                                                                    •Surgery
The two terms are actually interchangeable.           Our ultimate goal is to relieve patients’ pain, and to        •Orthotics
The word Chiropody is derived from “Chiro”            maintain and improve our patients’ quality of life.           •Diabetes
meaning hand and “pody” meaning feet. The more        We achieve this by working as individual podiatrists but      •Wound care
modern term is “podiatry” which refers to the foot.   also as part of a multidisciplinary team which includes:      The National University of Ireland, Galway offers the only
The term podiatry is used in all English speaking     nurses, doctors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists,   Podiatry course in the Republic of Ireland.
countries.                                            surgeons, dieticians, prosthetists etc
Knowledge and treatments in healthcare have           Podiatrists practice in the following areas:                  The future of Podiatry in Ireland
advanced and treatment of the lower limb and feet
have progressed, along side this is the increasing    •Diabetes
scope of practice of the podiatrist. The term         •Biomechanics                                                 With the new course underway in Galway the future for
Podiatry better reflects our modern scope of          •Orthotics                                                    Podiatry in Ireland is bright!
practice.                                             •Podopaediatrics                                              It is important that the public and other health professionals
                                                      •Wound care                                                   have a better understanding of Podiatry and this can be
Where do Podiatrists Work?                            •Sports Injuries                                              achieved through:
                                                      •Podiatric surgery                                            Education
                                                      •Care of the amputee                                          Raising public awareness
•Hospitals/ HSE/ NHS
                                                      •Gait analysis                                                Raising awareness to other health professionals regarding our
•Private Practice
                                                      •Forensic podiatry                                            scope of practice
•Nursing Homes
                                                                                                                    Having confidence in our Profession
•Domiciliary Visits
                                                                                                                    Increased job opportunities
•Diabetes Clinics
                                                                                                                    Establishing diabetic foot services
•Sports Injuries/ Clubs
                                                                                                                    Expanding into other areas e.g. sports injuries GAA- Gaelic
                                                                                                                    football, hurling, soccer