STRIDE NEWS | Unleash your potential
Hilary Shelton, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Podiatry Association, reflects on recent changes taking place inside and outside the podiatry profession. From changes to the minimum wage, high interest rates, Medicare updates; through to a new Australian standard for the reprocessing of reusable medical devices, and the first issues paper released as part of the Scope of Practice Review. These are critical conversations to have at the upcoming Australian Podiatry Conference in June.
Hilary shares her personal thoughts on why the conference offers the perfect forum for the profession to collectively reflect on these changes – and on so much more.
I don’t know about you, but I benefit immeasurably from short periods of ‘time out’; an hour, a day, or whatever my schedule will support. I’ve noticed that whenever I feel I can’t afford to take this time out, it’s usually exactly when I need to do it most.
Since it can be so rare to carve out a period for professional growth and self-development, it’s all the more important that we try to do this at the Australian Podiatry Conference in June. I encourage you to give yourself this gift of time; to step back and create some space, however this looks to you.
As CEO of the Australian Podiatry Association, I want to get to know you more: to hear first-hand what challenges you lately, what wins you have had, and what we can collectively learn from your experiences. Please feel free to find me in any of the venues at the conference (and if you want to talk about parenting, my love of homemade granola, or why coffee is so good for the soul – let’s go there too).
Theme in focus
Under the theme, Unleashing Potential, this year’s conference will offer opportunities to unleash potential for yourself and your career, as well as the wider profession.
What do these two words really mean, though? We know that the Scope of Practice Review centred on these two words, but what power can they hold for the podiatry profession?
First, some context. Since the last conference in 2023, you will no doubt agree that there have been so many changes, both inside and outside of the profession. What immediately comes to mind for me at least, is updates to the minimum wage, high interest rates, a new Australian standard for the reprocessing of reusable medical devices, Medicare updates, and the role of the first issues paper released as part of the Scope of Practice Review.
While these changes reflect the tip of the iceberg, they certainly offer a starting point for discussions. We need to reflect on the profession in amidst all this change. And we need to do this together if we are to be effective, to genuinely shape ideas into action.
Let’s discuss in June which changes are helpful to our profession and which ones, frankly, hold us back. How can we best respond to these curve balls and opportunities, and which limitations lie beyond our immediate control?
Or put another way: how can we truly unleash our potential in the face of these developments, and in the context of your own lives and needs?
It’s one undertaking to have a theme set for our conference, yet if we are to walk away from these three days in June with practical actions, we also need a focus. For this reason, we have retained the tagline ‘Community. Education. Purpose’ from the 2023 conference. No matter what our roles, these pillars can help to guide our thinking, given their relevance to each of us.
Get involved
With around 1,000 delegates attending this year’s conference, we are calling on everyone from the podiatry profession to get involved.
We know that no one benefits from homogenous ‘group think’. So, if we are to be positively challenged – to truly unleash our potential – we need diversity of thought. It needs to be up there on the podium, in the workshops, at the exhibitor stands and while queuing up for coffee. This means you and your teams, and the people in your networks. The conference will only be as stimulating as the diversity of thought it invites – this is everything.
I’ll see you in June in the Gold Coast. Please come and find me if I don’t immediately find you. I’m keen to talk, and more importantly – to listen and learn from you.
More information on…
- Team registration: Clinic owners are encouraged to register their teams (Early Bird discounts are available until 11 April). This is an investment in their professional and personal development – equipping them with the latest techniques and research to enhance patient care and boost performance.
- Trade exhibition: The trade exhibition is a great place for organisations to speak directly with the podiatry community, showcase products/services, and build strong brand awareness across three packed days.
- Sponsorship opportunities: Sponsorship opportunities are available, giving organisations an invaluable chance to amplify their brand in front of an engaged and passionate audience.
Australian Podiatry Conference
26 – 28 June 2025
Gold Coast – Yugambeh
Unleashing Potential
Register here
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STRIDE NEWS: Advocacy update on digital transformation
It’s only the start of 2025, and already, we’re seeing big changes in the digital health space. For podiatry, this year feels like a turning point—one where digital transformation is no longer just a discussion but a reality we need to navigate. Steven Brown, from the Australian Podiatry Association’s advocacy team, explains.
The Health Legislation Amendment (Modernising My Health Record—Sharing by Default) Bill 2024 was recently passed, setting the stage for how health information will be shared moving forward.
The key takeaway? Health data will now be uploaded to My Health Record by default.
What does this mean?
This shift is designed to improve access to real-time information, making it easier for healthcare providers to work together and streamline patient care. But, as with any change, it comes with questions. How ready are podiatrists for this shift? What barriers do we still need to overcome?
That’s where the AHPA x Australian Digital Health Agency Digital Transformation Survey comes in.
Thanks to the participation of members of the Australian Podiatry Association (APodA), APodA was able to get a clearer picture into how podiatrists view digital products, how they engage with tools like My Health Record and Provider Connect Australia, and what their workplaces are doing (or not doing) to support this shift.
What learnings stood out?
Some key points stood out for podiatry.
- Use of My Health Record is comparatively low: While awareness of My Health Record is high (58.9%), actual use is still low, with just 11% of podiatrists using it daily. Interestingly, this is higher than the allied health average of 6%, but it still highlights a significant gap between knowing about digital tools and integrating them into daily practice.
- Privacy concerns create a barrier: Privacy concerns remain a common barrier in the use of My Health Record, with 43% of all survey participants expressing some level of concern.
- Some mindsets are slow to shift: And then there’s workplace readiness—while 67% of podiatrists see digital health as beneficial, nearly 22% work in environments that only adopt new technologies when absolutely necessary.
- PCA reflects a similar uptake pattern: Secure messaging, electronic prescribing, and Provider Connect Australia (PCA) all follow a similar pattern—low awareness and limited uptake.
So, what’s next?
The good news is that podiatry isn’t sitting on the sidelines. APodA has been actively working to position podiatry within the broader digital interoperability landscape.
One major piece of this work is our involvement in the Allied Health Consistent Terminology Data Standards Working Group. The Allied Health Consistent Terminology Data Standards Working Group is leading an important initiative through the Australian Digital Health Agency and Allied Health Professions Australia to ensure allied health is represented in the National Terminology Data Standards. This body of work is a vital step in ensuring podiatry is well-placed to integrate with My Health Record and other digital health systems when the time comes.
Without allied health terminology in these standards, software developers will find barriers in building the tools practitioners need to efficiently share critical consumer health information. This could impact compliance with future government mandates
This space is moving fast, and it’s clear that digital transformation isn’t something that will happen to us—it’s something we need to actively engage with.
STRIDE NEWS | Do you know about the changes to the Privacy Act?
As of December 2024, significant changes to the Privacy Act came into effect. Here’s some insights into how it affects podiatrists and practice owners.
The Privacy Act has been updated; bringing with it, higher fines and penalties for anyone who does not comply with the new regulations. This is big news for podiatrists, particularly those who run a practice.
While the below list is not exhaustive, here are some changes that will directly impact podiatrists and practice owners.
Change #1: More data protection
What’s happened: Stricter data protection is now in place. This extends to encryption standards for podiatrists and practice owners, alongside regular security audits.
What you need to do: Make sure your practice management systems comply with the new encryption and security requirements.
Change #2: More patient rights
What’s happened: Patients have the right to be informed on how their data is being used, and they have greater access to their data, its accuracy and the way it is managed.
What you need to do: Develop clear communication strategies to inform patients of their rights and how their data is being handled.
Change #3: Data breach notifications are mandatory
What’s happened: If there is a data breach, you must now report it to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) and affected individuals within 72 hours.
What you need to do: In addition to reporting any data breaches as above you must establish or update your data breach response plans to meet the new notification requirements.
Are you a member of APodA?
If so, head to the clinical records and privacy member resources section for more information. This contains tools and templates, consent forms, audit tools and more information on clinical records, privacy, retention records and audits. Or if you have any immediate questions or concerns, please contact APodA’s Member Services team on 03 94163111 or email info@podiatry.org.au.
