Unit of Study PODR3002 Work Integrated Learning in Pedorthics III (2024)

Unit description

Builds on previous experience and provides students with continued supervised clinical experience in the highly specialised provision of pedorthic services to the general public. Student clinicians will be responsible for advanced case planning and management within this supervised environment.

Unit content

Students will be involved in providing pedorthic assessment and treatment involving custom made orthoses and footwear for high risk cases, including clients with diabetes related and neuropathic foot complications. Students will be exposed to clients demonstrating a level of complexity and lower limb deformity that require complex custom-made footwear with orthotic elements . There is a strong emphasis on evidence based practice.

While on placement students will participate in learning experiences, under low level of supervision and guidance, to develop high level clinical, professional and communication skills. These experiences will include, for clients with increased complexity or at high risk of foot complications:

• conducting initial client interview to obtain health and pedorthic history

• performing and interpreting clinical assessments for the lower limb (including, vascular, neurological, dermatological, biomechanical, and gait assessments)

• conducting and interpreting plantar pressure assessment with consideration of established guidelines

• planning and implementing evidence based pedorthic intervention

• reviewing, evaluating and modifying pedorthic intervention

• reviewing medical reports, including radiology results

• obtaining three-dimensional foot and ankle models (casting and scanning)

• manufacturing pedorthic appliances including designing and constructing the cast negatives and positives, orthoses and complete footwear

• conducting trial and final fittings, compare outcomes against planned outcomes, accounting for variations

• providing client / user focused education for the use, care and follow up of any fitted appliance or pedorthic intervention

• participating in professional dialogue and case discussions with colleagues

• practicing and communicating as a member of an interprofessional health care team