How Can the Walk With a Doc Program Impact Podiatric Practice?

This content was created in partnership with the American Academy of Podiatric Practice Management.

Josh White, DPM: My name is Josh White. I'm a podiatrist and a certified pedorthist. I am currently the medical director and Vice President at OrthoFeet Shoes. Prior to that I was the founder of of a company called Safe Step, which streamlined utilization of the Medicare Therapeutic shoe program. And I started that company based on experience that I had in my own practice for fifteen years in New York City.

Walk With a Doc is an organization started by a cardiologist who was motivated to do something to address all the chronic conditions that he was seeing in his practice often the result of patients leading sedentary lifestyles. And so he created the program with the idea of being a role model for his patients. The program is based on the doctor leading at least a monthly walk, preceded by a health talk to patients. The idea is that the program or the walk breaks down some of the barriers to communication that sometimes exist between the doctors and their patients, and provides a impetus for patients to adopt CDC activity guidelines of participating in moderate exercise three or more times a week, thirty minutes or more at each time. And so, when I heard about that program, I thought that this would not only be very much appropriate for the types of patients seen in most podiatric practices. But it was absolutely complementary to my efforts to promote utilization of the therapeutic shoe program which provides coverage for one pair per year for patients with diabetes at risk. I really thought that the idea of using their feet and enable them to walk, helping them to reduce weight, and most importantly continue with or improve their independence, was something that resonated very strongly for me. What I discovered in my own practice, and many others have found as well, is that often patients who have diabetes and at risk for ulceration, are less than thrilled about the idea of  having to wear shoes, that they are prescribed. Orthopedic shoes or diabetic shoes sometimes have a connotation of being ugly, and not the style that people would choose to want to wear. However, connecting the concept of wearing shoes to improving mobility, independence, and activity as well as reducing the likelihood of falls, is are the types of concepts that patients can typically more connect with, these are concepts that would resonate with them.

And so the idea of being able to provide patients shoes that can improve their mobility, independence, and activity are concepts that resonated very well with my patients, and have been concepts that have also resonated very well with other doctors where I've shared the concept with.

There's an expression that every journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step, and you, the doctor, has the opportunity to leverage the respect that they are often given by patients. Let me just say that I think that it can resonate very well if doctors you, pardon the pun walk the talk meaning if we are promoting activity. It can serve very well for patients to see the doctor promoting set activity, particularly given the latest statistics that show that over forty percent of the elderly population is obese, obese defined as being twenty percent or more overweight. One of the most important ways for obese patients to lose weight and avoid developing diabetes is to increase their activity levels. One of the easiest and best ways to do that is simply by walking. The CDC recommends that patients people walk or engage in moderate activity three or more times a week, or durations of thirty minutes or more walk with a dock provides a very simple way for patients to participate in this sort of recommended activity. And, does it in a way that builds community, and provides an opportunity for patients to to get answers to many of their frequently asked questions. 

I think that it would be tremendously beneficial for a podiatrist to be known as the Walking Doctor, and for referring doctors or other doctors in the community. Other doctors were part of the team approach to care to recognize a podiatrist as a doctor who cares with a doctor who is serving as a role model to their patients, and a doctor who is interested. The doctor who provides shoes is demonstrating an interest in those shoes being used. I like to use the expression when providing shoes to patients. The direction is that the patient should wear those shoes out, and by that I mean that the shoes should be used outdoors for activities, and they should be used so much so that they can be worn out and replaced on an annual basis. The last thing I want to hear from patients is that they love these shoes so much that they are saving them for special occasions, or church, or for special events. The idea is to wear their shoes every day, walk in them, and to enjoy them, and to wear them out, and to get a new pair of shoes, each calendar year, as Medicare allows. 

The most common objection that people have with starting anything new is that they are too busy, and don't have enough time, and the walk with a doc organization has a lot of tools available to help make that first walk successful, internal and external marketing tools. That means material that can be used to to to inform patients in the practice, as well as to reach out to the other doctors in the community.

Starting a program Starting a walk with a doc program is also a great responsibility. I'll recommend to assign to a junior member of the practice, both in terms of of recruiting the patients who can participate in the program, as well as to have the the discipline to do it on on a monthly basis, and be patient. Recognize that the key to success is to starting and to getting it going, and expect it to be slow, but that the the real key is consistency, so that if a walk is scheduled same time same day every month, it will build, because patients will enjoy it. The people in the practice will enjoy it. And in my role as the medical director of OrthoFeet, we're very much interested in supporting this.

We had a great walk on Friday morning, bright and early at 6:45, terrific to have a nice group out walking with us. All of the participants were provided a complimentary pair of shoes, and I hope that if you were part of the group that you got a good taste of how much fun it could be, and how much, how easy it could be for you to to do it yourself at your practice with your own patients. Ah, good luck! And ever, if I could be of any assistance, don't hesitate to reach out to me directly JoshWhite@OrthoFeet.com. Thanks very much.