title: Podiatry services for patients with arthritis: an unmet need.
abstract: Foot problems are extremely common in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). There is ample evidence that foot pain, either alone or as a comorbidity, contributes significantly to disability. Despite the high prevalence of foot disease in RA, this problem is often trivialised or underappreciated. The inequity in foot health provision for patients with rheumatic disorders in New Zealand has recently been highlighted. Expertise in dealing with foot problems is often limited among healthcare professionals, and it has been argued that better integration of podiatric services into rheumatology services would be beneficial. The aim of this paper is to highlight the major issues related to foot care for patients with arthritis and provide key recommendations that should implemented to improve access to podiatric services in New Zealand.
authors.affiliation: Health and Rehabilitation Research Centre, AUT University, Auckland, New Zealand. krome@aut.ac.nz
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rome
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chapman
authors.forename: Anita E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gow
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dalbeth
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications*; D005534:Foot Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009520:New Zealand; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D011032:Podiatry; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care