The diversity in formal educational programmes across countries leads to a consequent heterogeneity of podiatry professionals, but the need of gaining knowledge in new technologies for patient assessment and diagnosis is a common issue throughout Europe. The analysis of current education programmes and the associated learning outcomes as well as the professional's needs has allowed detecting some training gaps:

Lack of knowledge on the use of the latest technological devices which is not often discussed in enough depth during medical training.

Traditional methods are evolving to technologies that allow us today to capture and assess the foot at different loading phases.

Knowledge with regards to biomechanical properties of different materials is essential for the selection of materials in the manufacturing of orthosis.

PODIATRAIN project aims to create a European high educational framework to homogenise and improve knowledge of target users in advanced techniques and treatments as well as bring to bear the newest technologies for user assessment, covering the gap between foot care professionals and the continuous advances in the sector. 

Main beneficiaries of PODIATRAIN will be:

• Podiatrists
• Students finishing their BSc degree in podiatry
• Foot health practitioners
• Traumatologists
• Foot surgeons

PODIATRAIN will offer these professionals a number of advantages over widely extended traditional methods providing a route to transform foot health care from an artisan craft into a modern clinical speciality. The project results will contribute to improve the competences of these professionals, widening their labour opportunities. PODIATRAIN will be available in two European languages (English and Spanish).