The Register of Certified Pedorthists
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The Register of Certified Pedorthists
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Australian Certification Enterprises to manage footwear certificationAMGFA nominates certification management1 Jan 2003 -- RIMS Consulting Pty Ltd announced that the long awaited certification program for Medical Grade Footwear Practitioners would be launch during 2003. Australian Certification Enterprises is a division of RIMS Consulting and will provide the management resources necessary to maintain the MGF Register. The development of the certification criteria was the first step towards establishing a register of the most competent providers of medical grade footwear advice and products and the publication of the register will ensure that in future doctors and patients will be able to seek assistance from competent practitioners. Medical Grade Footwear Practitioners are highly trained providers of specialised shoes, orthotics and advice to patients that have mobility problems. Their training requires a convergence of the traditional shoemakers ability to construct custom footwear with the understanding of medical problems and how appropriate footwear can contribute to better lifestyle choices. The Australian Medical Grade Footwear Association Inc. has been working on this project for a number of years. First the criteria was developed with the assistance of Peter Reeves, from RIMS Consulting. This followed specialised training for the established footwear providers. The final step will be a panel assessment of the competency of the individual. It needs to be noted that inclusion in the register is restricted to individuals and not organisations. It is necessary for the person to have the skills to do the work. It is recognised that this continues the support for small businesses to work in this field and it ensures the personal attention that patients require continues. The register will recognise three levels of certification. No level should be considered superior to another, rather each level of certification will recognise the type of service required by the patient. The Retail Level of certification is for individuals that provide ready made shoes and footwear to patients with minor problems that can be helped with shoes providing extra depth or support. Those individuals receiving this certification will usually work in a retail environment and sell the ready made shoes directly to the public. The skills necessary for at this level include recognition of the various medical conditions requiring the footwear, selection of the correct footwear and providing advice to patient when ready made footwear may not meet the needs of the patient. The Modification Level of certification is for individuals that modify ready made shoes and boots to meet the patients special requirements. The people seeking this certification will need to demonstrate the ability to identify the various medical conditions of the patients feet and characteristics impacting on mobility and be able to make changes to the footwear to overcome the problems. The Custom Made Level of certification is for individuals that provide custom made footwear and advice on the mobility problems. Individuals seeking this level of certification will need to demonstrate the competency to analyse mobility problems and provide solutions. The objective is to improve the lifestyle choices of the patient. It is expected that the first cohort of certified practitioners will be completed in the second half of this year. For More Information Contact: |
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