Case  Study  No:  114  INDIGENOUS  HIGH  RISK  FOOT    (ID  144-­‐6)  

 

 

                           

Project  Highlights            Photo  provided    Jason  Warnock,  Queensland  based  podiatrist,  has  researched,  developed,  written,  implemented  and  evaluated  the  “Indigenous  Diabetic  Foot  (IDF)  Programme.”  The  intent  of  the  programme  is  three  tiered:  

1. Train  podiatrists  to  deliver  the  IDF  to  Indigenous  health  workers.  2. Train  health  workers  to  deliver  the  programme  to  the  public.  3. Train  the  public  in  strategies  that  will  assist  in  their  foot  care.  

Considering   the  vastness  of   the  Kimberley,   sparsley  populated   regions,  high  prevalence  of  diabetes,  and   the  high   risk   of   developing   diabetic   foot   complications,   the   IDF   programme   has   the   capacity   for  wide   reaching  dissemination  of  knowledge  on  the  maintenance  of  healthy  feet.    

As  a  pilot,  this  project  successfully  achieved  its  objectives  

The  podiatrists  working  for  Boab  Health  Services  are  assembling  resource  kits  to  enable  healthcare  workers  to  effectively  deliver  the  “message”  to  individuals  and  groups.  Part  of  the  workshop  is  to  encourage  locals  to  perform  regular  home  care  on  their  feet.  In  following  the  advice  of  the  IDF  programme,  additional  resources  such  as  files,  pumice,  soaps/detergents  are  required.  To  this  end,  research  into  locally  sourced  products  is  

Organisation/s     Boab  Health  Services.  

RHCE2  Funding:   $3,500.00  (ex  GST)  Round  6   Duration:  24th  and  25th  August  2015  

Project  status:   Project  completed  and  final  report  submitted  

Project  type:   Continuing  Professional  Development,  Inter-­‐professional  Learning,  Knowledge  Translation/Transfer.    

Location:   Broome  –  RA  4  

Target  Groups:     Aboriginal    &  Torres  Strait  Islander  Workers,  Allied  Health  Professionals,  General  Practitioners,  Overseas  Trained  Doctors,  Nurses  &  Midwives  

Purpose:    Boab  Health  Services,  Podiatry  Section,  successfully  applied  for  a  Rural  Health  Continuing  Education  Grant.  The  original  premise  behind  the  application  was  to  help  fund  a  guest  speaker’s  presence  at  the  Inaugural  Indigenous  and  High  Risk  Foot  workshop  held  in  Broome  in  March  2015.      Approval  was  given  to  alter  the  original  intention  for  the  grant  money  and  an  IDF  training  conference  was  consequently  conducted  in  Broome  24th  and  25th  August  2015.    

continuing.  This  includes  locally  sourced  “bush  medicine”  utilising  locally  grown  plants  to  make  emollients  and  detergent.  A  substitute  for  pumice/sandpaper  is  also  being  looked  at.      Health  care  workers  and  Aboriginal  Liaison  Officers  (ALOs)  are  representative  from  a  wide  geographical  area,  and  speak  a  multitude  of  languages.  It  is  also  hoped  the  chosen  language  used  to  deliver  the  IDF  convey  an  accurate  account  of  the  principles  of  the  IDF.  Translations  will  be  something  that  will  require  additional  work  in  the  future,  and  local  interpreters  may  be  recruited  in  the  future.      

Comments  from  the  workshop  evaluation  included:  

1. Were  there  parts  of  the  workshop  you  particularly  liked?  • One  on  one  with  patients.    • Hearing  the  personal  case  studies  and  real  life  examples.  • Being  able  to  practice  on  real  people.  

2. When  questioned  whether  they  would  use  the  IDF  foot  tools  in  their  workplaces,  100%  of  the  participants  responded  affirmatively.    

 Future  developments  Since  the  workshop,  arrangements  for  two  podiatry  delivered  trainings  have  been  confirmed.  Both  trainings  will  be  delivered  to  HACC  /  KACS  staff  and  clients  in  two  remote  Fiztroy  Crossing  communities.      Contact:            Jenny  Kitchen  Regional  Podiatrist                  Phone:    0408  890  077            Email  :    jenny.kitchen@boabhealth.com.au            Website:    www.boabhealth.com.au  

 

   Photos  provided