Public Perceptions of the Podiatrist and the DPM Degree

Abstract

Although there are gaps in the public knowledge, our study revealed a greater familiarity with podiatry and the DPM degree than originally thought.

Community awareness of speech pathology: A regional perspective

“…Further supporting this hypothesis are the results of the Malaysian study, which showed that participants with a higher educational level and employed in the health and educational sectors had a greater level knowledge of communication disorders and the role of speech pathologists 11 . Two studies within other allied health disciplines have also reported a relationship between participants’ area of employment and their awareness of the profession 12,25 …”

“…For example, an Australian study on public perception of physiotherapy reported that while the public knew that physiotherapists work with musculoskeletal conditions, they had very little awareness that physiotherapists work with children or other services available within the discipline's scope of practice 16 . Though limited, studies on public awareness across speech pathology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, audiology, podiatry and chiropractic all highlight the need for educational campaigns to promote the full range of services offered by these allied health professions 7‐25 …”

“…Studies assessing public awareness of occupational therapy, 17‐20 chiropractic care 21‐23 and audiology 24 all highlight the need to improve public awareness of the services these professions provide. Despite the study on podiatry reporting that the general public is familiar with podiatric services, it needs to be viewed with caution as it is the only published study on public awareness of podiatry 25 …”