How can we improve Podiatry services for the homeless population

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Listening to the voices of the homeless population with foot wounds/foot health concerns and the team around them to improve foot health services.

  • IRAS ID

    336479

  • Contact name

    Rachel Mountford

  • Contact email

    MountfordR@cardiff.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    Cardiff University

  • Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

    SPON 1975-24, Sponsor reference number

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    0 years, 7 months, 28 days

  • Research summary

    The homeless population struggle to access health services. Research tells us that
    this population may have neglected their foot health and could be suffering from a wound and might be at an increased risk of amputation and premature death.

    By listening to barriers the homeless population has accessing podiatry it is hoped services can be improved. We would like to find service users attending a podiatry drop clinic at the homeless shelter and members of their Multi-agency team. All participants will be over the age of 18 years. Everyone will receive information about the study. Foot health advice will be issued and any treatment required to treat foot problems at these drop-ins will follow normal National Health Service(NHS) care.

    Data will be gathered from semi-structured interviews with service users in a homeless shelter attending a drop-in clinic for podiatry and the multidisciplinary(MDT) team that works with this demographic.

    The data collection period will be run for two to three months to allow adequate time for participants to access the drop-in clinic and for recruitment of participants to take place.

  • REC name

    South Central - Oxford A Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    24/SC/0229

  • Date of REC Opinion

    18 Jul 2024

  • REC opinion

    Favourable Opinion