Foot health education for people with rheumatoid arthritis

• Main Author: Graham, A. S.
• Published: University of Salford 2018
• Subjects: 610
• Online Access: https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.741144

Foot problems for people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are common resulting in significant pain, activity restriction and reduced quality of life. Provision of information and health education in respect of foot health would therefore seem to be an essential aspect of foot health management for people with RA, in order to maintain their foot health and overall well being. Although educational resources exist for this group of people, their exact needs and preferred methods of receiving education about foot health have not been formally sought. The aim of this body of work was to investigate patients’ and podiatrists’ perspectives of current foot health education provision for people with RA in the UK; firstly aiming to identify any evidence to support the use of foot health education, then exploring patient and podiatry practitioner experiences of foot health education provision. This thesis therefore presents seven works published between 2011 and 2017 that explore the perceptions of people with RA and podiatrists about foot health education provision in the UK. This body of work has been critically reviewed through; personal reflection of the author’s perceptions of patient education and in the context of the work within the public domain. The methodological approaches used, the wider impact of the work and its’ translation into practice have been critically evaluated through analysis of citation/download and Altmetric data and review of the current literature, demonstrating the works’ broad utilisation and impact. This work demonstrates an original and distinctive contribution to research design within the podiatry profession, the understanding of foot health education needs of people with RA and the continuing significant burden that diminished foot health has on this population of people. Overall, the publications within this thesis have culminated in the identification of the need for future research to develop a foot-health related educational needs analysis tool that will facilitate a more timely and tailored approach to FHE provision.