Podiatrist...Coming Soon to a Foot Care Aisle Near You
Posted Oct 05 2009 10:02pm
I was reading an article in the UK Daily Mail entitled "Check Out Your Bunions While Buying Your Onions" this morning and I was intrigued. It described a podiatrist who has set up clinic in a grocery store a couple of days a week. Would this work here in Texas? If people are too busy to go to the podiatrist, should podiatrists just station themselves to where the people are?
This model is not unfamiliar to the US. Several years ago, WalMart was exploring a partnership with podiatrists in their stores. That program ended up fizzling. You will find, however, walk-in clinics popping up in Walgreens, CVS, WalMart, and other stores and pharmacies. They are often staffed by a nurse practitioner or physician assistant to administer minor treatment or prescribe medication for an illness. They are marketed to people without insurance, but the convenience is attractive to many.
Podiatry, along with other specialties, require specialized and expensive equipment. For optometry, stores like WalMart and Target seem to have realized that the investment in this equipment is worthwhile. I don't think the same will hold true for podiatrists. Having a podiatrist in these types of situations will be providing fairly limited services, like caring for toenails, corns, and calluses, such as what was described in the article. If someone truly required more advanced foot care, such as treating a diabetic ulcer or bunion surgery, a visit to the office will still be best.
This model is not unfamiliar to the US. Several years ago, WalMart was exploring a partnership with podiatrists in their stores. That program ended up fizzling. You will find, however, walk-in clinics popping up in Walgreens, CVS, WalMart, and other stores and pharmacies. They are often staffed by a nurse practitioner or physician assistant to administer minor treatment or prescribe medication for an illness. They are marketed to people without insurance, but the convenience is attractive to many.
Podiatry, along with other specialties, require specialized and expensive equipment. For optometry, stores like WalMart and Target seem to have realized that the investment in this equipment is worthwhile. I don't think the same will hold true for podiatrists. Having a podiatrist in these types of situations will be providing fairly limited services, like caring for toenails, corns, and calluses, such as what was described in the article. If someone truly required more advanced foot care, such as treating a diabetic ulcer or bunion surgery, a visit to the office will still be best.