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How to get more flat feet patients: a plan for podiatry and foot and ankle practices

A staff member reviews a binder in the back office of a podiatry practice

Adults call about a low or absent arch, feet that feel tired or achy after standing, or pain on the outside of the ankle. This guide covers new consult requests, second opinions and follow-up visits for flat feet in podiatry and orthopedic foot and ankle practices; foot pain, heel pain, plantar fasciitis, ankle pain, hammertoe and bunion surgery have their own guides. The podiatrist, foot and ankle surgeon or treating clinician (the clinician below) evaluates the patient and decides the plan, including whether and which tests or treatment are needed.

In short

  • Speak to adults with low arches or achy feet in their own words, without fear.
  • Keep landing pages simple: what people notice, the consult, the clinician, the price, one way to book.
  • Book the consult with a short script that never names a condition, a cause or a treatment.
  • Relay the MedlinePlus lines whole, then tell the clinical team.
  • Follow up with consent, without pressure, and track each request.
  1. SearchAn adult looks for care near them.
  2. Your pageWhat you treat, who sees them, one way to book.
  3. Call or formThey call or send a request.
  4. Front deskBooks the visit and never guesses a cause.
  5. Clinical teamThe clinician decides the plan.
How a new patient request reaches your practice.

1. Who the patients are and what they search for

Callers are adults 18 or over, of any sex. Some noticed a flat foot only as adults; some want a second opinion. They search for flat feet, fallen arches, arch pain, or a podiatrist near them. Use the same words on your pages.

The MedlinePlus Flat feet page says “Symptoms in adults may include tired or achy feet after long periods of standing or playing sports.” and “You also may have pain on the outside of your ankle.” Only the clinician can say what is behind a low arch or a sore ankle. Staff never say a caller has flat feet or any named condition, and never guess a cause.

Aim ads at adults only, never target by sex, age band or any health condition, and never build audiences from health information.

2. Landing page basics

Care starts with a consult. The page sells the visit, not a result, and never hints at what is behind a low arch.

  • Name what people notice, in their own words: a low arch, achy feet, a sore ankle.
  • Give the clinician’s name and real credentials.
  • Give a starting price and what it includes. Self-pay patients may be entitled to a good faith estimate.
  • Show one way to book.

Never use fear, never list causes, never blame a patient’s age, job or habits, never name a treatment, and never promise any outcome. Avoid “fix your flat feet”, “rebuild your arches”, “walk without pain again”, “risk-free” and “insurance will cover it”. Better: “the clinician will examine you, ask about your symptoms and talk through the options with you”.

3. The phone script

Staff never judge urgency, never say what condition a caller has and never name a treatment; they collect answers and book.

  1. “Thanks for calling. May I take your name, your age and the reason for your visit?”
  2. “Which foot or both, when did you first notice it, and did a doctor refer you? Please bring a list of your medicines and any notes from earlier care.”
  3. “The consult starts at [price]. Further care may be extra. We will check your plan, but cannot promise coverage.”
  4. Do I have flat feet, is it flexible or rigid, which treatment will work, and do I need surgery? “We cannot tell that on the phone. The clinician will examine you, ask about your symptoms and decide with you what the options are.”
  5. “I can book your consult now. May we text or email you about it?”

Book adults only. Pass any caller under 18, and any question on medicines, footwear, home steps or activity, to the clinical team. Staff never comment on another doctor’s advice. See the new patient phone script.

4. Routing and safety lines

Under When to Contact a Medical Professional, MedlinePlus gives one sentence and no list. It is quoted whole, exactly as MedlinePlus writes it, including its part about younger patients; this page and its ads still target adults only.

It says: “Contact your provider if you experience persistent pain in your feet or your child complains of foot pain or lower leg pain.”

The same page also says: “Rigid or painful flat feet need to be checked by a provider.”

These are the source’s words, not front desk advice, and they do not say what a caller has. For an adult who reports ongoing foot pain, booking the consult is that contact; staff never say the caller has flat feet. If a caller asks whether they should be seen, read the first line word for word, then tell the clinical team at once.

Staff add no words of their own about urgency or causes, never suggest a step to try at home and never tell a caller to stop, keep or change a medicine. Any other report that worries a caller goes to the clinical team right away.

Make follow-up visits easy to book; the clinician decides what each visit covers and how often to see the patient.

Text or email only with the patient’s own contact details and consent; see texting patients and the TCPA. Follow up without pressure (see consultation to treatment), never pay or take payment for referrals (see patient referrals for medical practices), and track each request from first contact to consult.

Where MediLeadGen fits

MediLeadGen sends practices requests from people interested in cash-pay elective treatments. Each request goes to one practice only, with the person’s consent naming that practice, at a fixed price per delivered request.

See how it works for practices

Questions practices ask

How do we get more flat feet patients?

Answer quickly, give clear prices and real credentials, keep claims inside the sources, and book a consult where the clinician decides the plan.

Can we tell callers whether they have flat feet or which treatment they need?

No. The podiatrist, foot and ankle surgeon or treating clinician examines the patient and decides the plan after the consult, including whether and which tests or treatment are needed.

What should the front desk do when a call sounds urgent?

Relay the matching MedlinePlus line from section 4, word for word, then tell the clinical team right away. Staff never judge urgency and never say what condition a caller has.

Does insurance cover care for flat feet?

Coverage varies by plan. Check each patient’s plan, and do not promise coverage in ads or on the phone.

General information for practice teams, not legal or clinical advice. Check device labeling, FDA requirements, state rules and your advertising with counsel and your clinicians. Last reviewed October 2026.

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