Making Orthotics More Understood, Visible, and Profitable
According to a study by The INSIGHT Partners, a research and consulting company, the foot orthotics insoles market reached $3.5MIL in 2019, and is projected to grow to nearly $5.5MIL by 2027. This report attributes the growth in foot orthotics to an increasingly older population, more cases of arthritis, diabetes and other foot conditions, and a growing need for orthotics from the sports industry.
With North America dominating the foot orthotics market (42.54% in 2022), it’s clear that many podiatry practices have thriving orthotics programs. In fact, the highest-earning 1% of podiatrists distribute more than 10 pairs of orthotics each week. However, for many podiatrists, foot orthotics can be a misunderstood or underperforming treatment modality in their practices.
If you would like to step up your orthotics program, there are several things to consider.
Patient Education
A lackluster orthotics program could stem from your patients’ lack of awareness of the advantages and potential positive impact orthotics can have on their lives. Often, this gap in knowledge results from insufficient orthotics education and visibility. If your practice treats orthotics as an afterthought online or in the office, they can be relegated to an invisible or unfamiliar service for your patients.
Moreover, your patients might misunderstand orthotics. They could have been misled by certain retailers or big box stores that falsely equate over-the-counter (OTC) arch supports with true medical grade prefabricated or custom orthotics. Roberta Nole, MA, PT, CPed, and contributing author in Orthotics and Prosthetics in Rehabilitation, 2nd Edition” explains, “These inserts have one single arch support without any specific postings or corrections.”
Your patients need to know that OTC inserts are inferior to what you can provide. Especially if they’ve had a bad experience with an OTC product which did nothing (or even worsened) their condition. As Louis J. DeCaro, DPM—an authority on pediatric podiatry/biomechanics and president of the ACFAP—explains, “It is extremely important to educate the patient on the difference between an over-the-counter arch support, and a custom functional orthotic that controls biomechanics force. “
Some of the most successful podiatry practices have overcome a lack of patient awareness by taking a comprehensive and systematic approach to educating their patients about orthotics. You should too.
For instance, short, informative email campaigns that describe symptoms and offer orthotics as a possible solution can really resonate with your patients and pique their interest.
Monthly orthotics blogs on your website can also help broaden patients’ understanding of orthotics and promote them as possible to many issues. Blogs can also lend credibility to differentiating medical grade prefab and custom orthotics from ordinary off-the-shelf inserts.
Blogs can impress upon patients your importance in effective orthotics solutions as well, driving home what APMA.org reports, that “Clinical research studies have shown that podiatrist-prescribed foot orthotics decrease foot pain and improve function.”
Dedicated orthotics blogs serve another valuable purpose, as Randy Rosler, National Director of Podiatry Content Connection explains. “Blogs provide fresh content which helps improve the podiatrist’s search engine ranking, making them more visible and clickable to potential new patients.”
Continuing Medical Education (CME)
Many podiatrists with robust orthotics programs utilize CME to help them better understand and apply biomechanics in their practices. As Dr. DeCaro explains, “The understanding and application of biomechanics in practice is ever changing. Almost everything a podiatrist treats is biomechanically based. Everything short of trauma has its roots in biomechanics, and even trauma often has its roots in biomechanical faults.”
CME can also give you the tools and insight you need to connect the dots between biomechanics, orthotics and foot health to your patients. According to Dr. DeCaro, “Learning how to properly educate the patient is vital. Once a patient understands how biomechanics have led to, and will help solve, their issues then the idea of pursing orthotics is a lot easier for them to grasp.”
Staying informed and open to new concepts ultimately gives you more options to treat your patients. As one practitioner put it, attending a biomechanics seminar provided “the ‘missing link’ between the biomechanics I learned in school and the practical biomechanics I practice.”
Orthotics Visibility
Keeping orthotics front and center—online and in your office—is instrumental in getting your orthotics program in tip-top shape.
The most successful practices use tools like professionally designed website banners, stand-alone web pages, eBooks, online ad campaigns, exam/waiting room posters and more to increase visibility and create interest in orthotics.
Keep in mind that improving orthotics visibility in your practice is more than just a marketing strategy. It’s about engaging and educating your patients, and creating consistent messaging across all patient touch points. This prompts more orthotics interest, discussions and appointments.
Bringing it All Together
By taking a more comprehensive and proactive approach to orthotics, you will improve patient engagement and care, enhance your professional knowledge, and be well on your way to increasing your practice’s bottom line.
For more information about stepping up your orthotics program with patient education, CME and visibility, contact Randy Rosler at 917-572-5088 or email randyrosler@podiatrycc.com.
Additional Resources
BIOMECHANICS MASTER CLASS features two days of hands-on workshops, roundtables, and informative presentations about fitting, dispensing, modifying, and marketing orthotics. This 2-day conference will be held on April 26-27, 2024 at Sheraton Bradley Airport, Windsor Locks, CT. The speakers are experts in podiatry, biomechanics, pedorthics, orthotics, and podiatry marketing. They will present the science and practice management of biomechanics and orthotics for patients of all ages.
For more information, agenda details or to register, click here or email RandyRosler@PodiatryCC.com
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