Introduction
Telemedicine has evolved in tandem with technological progress over
several decades.1 Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has
emphasised the essential nature of telemedicine in various healthcare
settings.2
Healthcare providers with a special interest in foot and ankle
management frequently employ physical interventions within their
clinical practice to assess, diagnose, and manage diverse foot
conditions, due to the tactile nature of their occupation. The COVID-19
pandemic necessitated an abrupt shift in podiatric care from a
traditional clinical setting to a remote one, as a result of the
implementation of improvised measures.1 During that
period, healthcare providers faced a dearth of comprehensive
evidence-based guidelines to comply with, and the guidelines that were
formulated were primarily institutional.3 The
principal aim of the research was to examine the viewpoints of
stakeholders regarding the possible implementation of a telemedicine
service for foot and ankle care management in the primary healthcare
setting. In terms of this paper, telemedicine is defined as the
application of information and communication technology to enable
healthcare providers and patients to engage in
consultations.4 Assessing the perspectives of
stakeholders will play a crucial role in ascertaining the viability of
this potential service in achieving broad adoption.