5 Tips for Choosing the Right Podiatrist
Do you know how to select the best foot doctor for you and your loved ones?
Do you want to make sure you are getting the best possible care for your feet?
Do you want to choose the right podiatrist and avoid the wrong one?
To find the best foot care and the best foot doctor, go by the following five time-tested and guaranteed signs of a great podiatrist:
1. Personable staff and doctor.
You should be treated with respect and care from the first time you make contact with a podiatrist's office. Ideally, the staff will accommodate your preferences as much as possible when scheduling your appointment.
When you see your doctor, he or she should greet you with courtesy. Your doctor should carefully listen to your problems and concerns. If you feel rushed or disregarded during your appointment, you should look for another doctor.
2. Informative doctor.
The word “ doctor ” comes from the Latin word “ docēre ” meaning “ to teach ” . The right podiatrist will educate you about your problems. If your doctor tells you what to do without explaining why you need to do it, he or she is not a good podiatrist for you. Your doctor needs to explain in detail any problems you have and set realistic goals and outcomes in a treatment plan. The doctor should also ask about your work and other activities to set realistic and optimal goals for you.
3. Cutting edge technology and equipment.
Lately, there have been numerous advances in cutting-edge technology to help with medical diagnostics and treatment. The best podiatrist is the one who embraces the newest advancements in medicine. If your doctor is still using stone-age medicine with old diagnostic and treatment equipment, he or she is not the right podiatrist for you.
4. Board Certifications.
There are two main board certification arms in podiatric medicine. The first is the surgery board, formally known as the American Board of Podiatric Surgery, and the second is the biomechanical and orthopedic board, or the American Board of Podiatric Orthopedics and Podiatric Medicine. You want to make sure your the doctor is board certified through at least one of these boards. Board certification is a very difficult and rigorous process that ensures that a doctor is well qualified to perform all the procedures necessary to be a great podiatrist.
5. Comprehensive and Specialized Care.
There are many different fields of specialization, or subspecialties, within foot and ankle medicine. These subspecialties include: pediatric podiatry, or “ Podopediatrics; ” sports medicine of the lower extremities; diabetic care and limb salvaging; reconstructive foot and ankle surgeries; dermatological foot and ankle care; and geriatric podiatry, “ Podogeriatrics. ” Your doctor should have adequate training and specialization to treat your foot problems. Therefore, the right podiatrist for you is the one who keeps up with continuing education, so he or she can be well versed in all areas of foot and ankle medicine.
All the doctors at Kim Foot and Ankle Centers (KFAC) meet the five qualifications listed above. They are the right podiatrists for you and your loved ones.
- Doctors at KFAC are personable, caring and courteous to patients. They listen to patients carefully to plan out the best treatment plans possible.
- Doctors at KFAC inform patients about every step of the treatment process; they create synergistic effects, maximizing outcomes while minimizing healing time.
- KFAC holds the most advanced diagnostic and treatment equipment to enhance treatment outcomes.
- Every doctor at KFAC is board certified and qualified to treat all foot and ankle conditions.
- Every doctor at KFAC is a “ Super Specialist ” in a different field of podiatric medicine. When a challenging patient comes into KFAC office, the team makes sure that patient gets to the Super Specialist who can give the best care possible for the problem.