Published on 29 August 2017
This month (August) sees the publication of an extensive five-year collaborative project led by Dr Catherine Hayes, Reader in our Faculty of Health Sciences and Wellbeing, and co-authored and edited with Judith-Barbaro-Brown, Head of Curriculum and Progression at Durham University.
Both academics qualified in Podiatric Medicine and have used their academic backgrounds to work in the context of interdisciplinary health and science praxis.
The concept and theory behind the book was to build knowledge within and between allied health professions and podiatry as a practical and cognate discipline.
Alongside a number of contributing authors from both Sunderland and Durham University, the book has international authorship from world leaders of the profession of podiatric medicine.
Dr Hayes said: “It has been an absolute privilege to be able to work with and mentor staff from across the Faculty of Health Sciences and Wellbeing in bringing this book to fruition, alongside so many international authors from the field of podiatric medicine. This has been a lengthy project and both Judith and I are delighted with the final version of the book. I am fortunate to work in the context of both health sciences and pedagogic practice and this book is a real testimony to the commitment and support that my own Faculty affords, in making research and scholarly activity such a priority for its academic staff.”
Globally, podiatric medicine has evolved significantly in both its depth and scope of practice. Continual innovation and a call for evidence-based practice have ensured the profession has seen a rapid revolution in podiatric education, research and practice. Podiatry plays a pivotal role in the early assessment, diagnosis and management of lower limb disorders, as well as in the detection and monitoring of long-term conditions.
Dr Hayes says the time dedicated to podiatric consultation provides an opportunity for dialogue and interaction which has placed the profession at the heart of public health education. The unique insight gained into the holistic lives of patients as a consequence of their role in patient care means their position within the extended multi-disciplinary team is highly valued in both primary and secondary care provision.
Dr Hayes explained: “The foundation of podiatric medicine is in the cognitive and applied understanding of anatomy, physiology, biomedical, psychosocial, and physical sciences, and as a consequence, podiatrists are now able to offer care encompassing a diverse range of diagnostic skills and management strategies.
“Since co-morbidities, polypharmacy and ambulatory wellbeing issues present across all ages, a key role of podiatric medicine is to maintain the health of increasing numbers of patients who have complex medical conditions.”
Dr Hayes added that these professional developments have led to a need for specialist textbooks reflecting the enhanced role of podiatrists in the context of health and wellbeing.
Lauded as a landmark publication, ‘Textbook of Podiatric Medicine’ gives the discipline of podiatric medicine a single source of reference for the structural and functional capacity of all major body systems.
It also provides a social insight into the complexities of working with patients, their families, and carers in everyday clinical practice.
In adopting this holistic approach to patient care, the text is the first in the discipline to integrate sociological perspectives and complexities of mental illness and public health education with traditional chapters on human anatomy and physiology.
Edited and authored by a leading international team of experts in the field of podiatric medicine, science and health, and embedding the latest research, this comprehensive textbook is destined to become a seminal text for the next generation of podiatrists, both as students and as healthcare professionals.
Donald Lorimer, who is Ex Chairman of the UK College of Podiatry and General Practice, provides a foreword for ‘Textbook of Podiatric Medicine’ in which he says:
“Over the last two centuries, the status of podiatry has risen from a simple but effective strategy for treating painful foot conditions to a discipline that makes a major contribution to the health of the population. In that time, it has become an important part of the practice of medicine generally – especially in terms of the early diagnosis, monitoring and management of conditions such as diabetes. The study of the structure and function of the human body (from the point of view of mechanical principles and biomechanics, thus becoming a clinical science) has enabled podiatrists to develop very effective strategies to treat and manage lower limb problems. This has in turn underlined the need to produce specialised texts to support this expanding area of practice. Similarly, podiatric surgery has imposed changes on the practice of podiatry, requiring a more detailed knowledge of the science of medicine as it applies to the lower limb. All these and many other developments have intensified the need for dedicated texts on podiatric medicine, to ensure that the finer nuances are given more emphasis than they receive in general medical science texts.
“Thus, when podiatric medicine textbooks from the past to the present are looked at critically, we can see that podiatric practice has been underpinned by a strong medical science foundation over the last two centuries. This new textbook has clearly been written with all this in mind, and each chapter adds to the practitioner’s fundamental knowledge of the body systems. It then moves on to specific studies (such as diabetes, neurological conditions and dermatology) so that the whole picture of the patient’s state of health can be assessed and evaluated.
“I am certain that all podiatry practitioners will find this an invaluable and informative addition to existing textbooks on podiatric medicine.”
