How to Set Up a Podiatry Clinic: What Equipment You Need

TL;DR: Setting up a podiatry clinic requires careful planning, from designing an accessible, comfortable space to selecting essential equipment like specialized chairs and surgical tools. The right setup enhances patient care and staff efficiency, ensuring a well-equipped environment for treating foot and ankle conditions.

Setting up any type of medical clinic is no small feat, and this is especially true for a podiatry practice. From the initial office design to choosing the best podiatry equipment and supplies, all these steps are important for creating a safe and efficient space.

Read on to learn practical tips for podiatry office design and how the right equipment can make the patient care cycle more comfortable and streamlined for everyone involved.

Podiatry Office Design Tips

Creating a well-thought-out podiatry clinic layout is crucial. Not only to enhance the functionality of the space but also to improve patient experience and staff efficiency.

Here are a handful of tips to help streamline your podiatry office design:

Prioritize Accessibility

You should always ensure your podiatry clinic layout is accessible to everyone. Practical design choices include wide doorways, no steps or low incline ramps, and sufficient room around equipment for maneuverability.

Use the ADA Standards for Accessible Design to make sure your clinic is compliant with the latest rules and regulations.

Create a Comfortable Waiting Room

Creating a comfortable waiting room is important for every medical practice. According to some reports, a focus on safety and comfort in the waiting area can improve patient mood and HCAHPS scores.

For podiatry practices, an emphasis on wellbeing in the waiting room is perhaps even more apparent. Patients seeking out a podiatrist are likely experiencing foot pain and it’s essential to create a space where they can be comfortable while they check in and wait for their doctor.

Optimize Treatment Room Layout

Each treatment room should be spacious enough to accommodate podiatry equipment, a patient chair, and mobile storage units without feeling cramped. Ensure there's ample space for both the podiatrist and assistants to move freely around the patient.

Incorporate Flexible Furniture

Consider including plenty of seating in both the waiting room and treatment rooms to help patients relax. Furniture that can be easily moved or adjusted offers more flexible to be rearranged as needed.

Invest in Technology

Plan for the integration of technology in the design. This includes having enough electrical outlets and data ports for equipment, as well as areas for charging stations for mobile devices used by staff and patients.

Similarly, use technology like tablets to pre-screen or check patients in without the need for them to walk around more than necessary.

Necessary Podiatry Equipment and Supplies

In a broad sense, podiatrists are medical specialists who treat problems specific to feet, ankles, or lower legs. Podiatry services can range from everything from diagnosing sprains and breaks and treating injuries to helping with ongoing health issues like diabetes or helping heal ingrown toenails.

Some podiatry practices may offer all these services, while others may specialize in podiatry wound care or just treating athletes. No matter the case, this is some of the essential podiatry equipment your clinic should have on hand.

Podiatry Medical Supplies

With a solid understanding of podiatry office design, it’s time to furnish it with the best equipment and medical furniture.

The precise medical supplies you need may depend on your specialization. For instance, if you diagnose and treat fractures, having an XRay machine will be incredibly important. On the other hand, if you work primarily with problems like calluses and ingrown nails this equipment wouldn’t be as necessary.

Some common surgical podiatry equipment a clinic should always have on hand include:

• Surgical Curettes
• Chisels and Osteotomes
• Cuticle and Tissue Nippers
• Nail Splitters including English Anvil
• Nail Nippers
• Nail Rasps
• Metatarsal Elevators
• Retractors
• Forceps and Clamps
• Scissors
• Knives
• Rongeurs

These supplies can be used for podiatry wound care and surgery, or to treat things like calluses and ingrown toenails on the spot.

Of course, a podiatry clinic should also carry the basic medical supplies necessary for taking patient vitals and more. This is especially important if your clinic commonly treats patients with diabetes.

These additional podiatry equipment and supplies should include:

• Blood pressure monitors (automatic or manual)
• Thermometers (digital or infrared)
• Pulse oximeters
• Stethoscopes

Podiatry Chair

While all of the aforementioned podiatry equipment and supplies are essential to setting up a clinic, investing in the right podiatry chair is arguably the most important. There are many different procedure chairs available, but not all of them are suited to the needs of your potential clients.

First and foremost, it’s important to invest in a specific podiatry chair for your practice rather than a broad examination chair. A podiatry chair includes features that make treating patients with foot and ankle problems easier, such as:

• Power leg lift designed to make it easier for patients and staff alike
• Front access to chair
• Programmable hand control and foot control for efficiencies
• Protection of internal components from dirt and debris to simplify cleaning and ensure a longer product life

A high-quality podiatry chair should have a comfortable, functional foot section that allows your staff to easily treat their patient.

Podiatric treatments can take time, especially for diabetic foot care, wound management, nail surgeries, and biomechanical assessments. A well-cushioned, ergonomically designed chair helps patients remain relaxed and still during examinations and procedures. This not only improves their experience but also makes procedures safer and more streamlined.

Shop the Best Podiatry Equipment for Your Clinic

Whether you’re opening a new practice or need to update the podiatry chairs for your clinic, consider these popular options:

1. Midmark 646 Podiatry Chair that’s widely considered to be one of the best in foot and ankle care with an exclusive, ergonomic foot section designed to put control right where it’s needed—the foot section. Or, consider the newest model, The Midmark 647.
2. UMF ProGlide 5016 Podiatry/Wound Care Procedure Chair that’s designed with help from extensive research and clinical feedback. It’s developed to improve patient care and streamline the work of healthcare providers.

When it comes time to find podiatry equipment suppliers for your clinic, you can trust ExamTablesDirect. We carry a variety of medical exam tables, including podiatry chairs, for all your practice’s needs.

Equip your podiatry office with help from ExamTablesDirect today, featuring premium equipment from trusted brands like UMF and Midmark.