'I Didn't Know, I Definitely Guessed.' Exploring Pre-Registration Podiatry Students' Approach to Identifying...

Area of Science:

• Podiatric medicine
• Dermatology
• Health equity

Background:

• Healthcare professionals face challenges diagnosing dermatological conditions in non-white patients.
• People of colour experience higher rates of misdiagnosis, leading to increased mortality and health disparities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate podiatry students' diagnostic ability, confidence, and perceptions of dermatological conditions across various skin tones.
• To address the research gap concerning podiatric health inequalities and educational shortcomings.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods sequential design involving pre-registration podiatry students.
• Participants completed a pictorial questionnaire on eczema and psoriasis across light, medium, and dark skin tones.
• Focus groups and thematic analysis explored diagnostic approaches and confidence levels.

Main Results:

• Psoriasis diagnosis accuracy was highest in medium (69%) and light (48%) skin tones, but very low in dark skin tones (3%).
• Eczema diagnosis was more evenly spread, with slightly higher accuracy in dark skin tones (39%).
• Qualitative findings revealed low confidence and apprehension, linked to underrepresentation of dark skin tones in educational materials and clinical exposure.

Conclusions:

• A significant lack of confidence exists in diagnosing dermatological pathology, especially in darker skin tones.
• Educational shortcomings in podiatry programs contribute to diagnostic disparities.
• Addressing these gaps is essential for reducing health inequalities in podiatric care.