Otto Bock Initiative Includes Upper-Extremity Professional Services Team

Bambi Anderson, OTR/L; Heather Hoyt, OTR; Shawn Swanson OTR/L Bambi Anderson, OTR/L, instructs during a recent seminar. Photo courtesy of Otto Bock Health Care. Otto Bock Health Care, a leader in myoelectric technology for over 30 years, has dedicated a team of upper-extremity clinical specialists to focus on education in upper-extremity prosthetics. The team consists of two certified prosthetists and three occupational therapists, whose goal is to improve outcomes for upper-extremity limb loss clients. By adding occupational therapists to Otto Bock's professional services staff, the team can act as a liaison between therapists and prosthetists, provide educational seminars, and, when appropriate, consult with clinicians regarding individual clients. The two distinct professionals involved in the rehabilitation process of an upper-extremity limb loss client are the certified prosthetist and the occupational therapist (a physical therapist may also fill this role in certain settings). Functional outcomes have been shown to improve dramatically with skilled team intervention. However, a team approach is still rare. Ideally, an occupational therapist is involved early to help prepare the client's residual limb so it can better utilize a prosthesis. After a certified prosthetist fits the client, the therapist also initiates functional training so the client becomes more proficient in using his/her prosthesis. Although occupational therapists can play a critical role in patient satisfaction and have a great impact on how much the prosthesis is used, they usually receive little or no formal education in upper-extremity limb loss and have limited exposure to this type of patient in clinical settings. The training that Otto Bock provides will assist the prosthetist in having a successful client outcome. If the prosthetist is not currently working with a therapist, Otto Bock's Professional Services team members can host an informational/educational in-service with the prosthetist at the prosthetic facility, a local rehabilitation center, hospital, or hand clinic to generate interest in treating clients with upper-extremity limb loss. Educating Prosthetic Students In January, Otto Bock taught a two-day educational program in upper-extremity myoelectrics for prosthetic students at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. The first day was dedicated to the theory behind myoelectrics, including information on the importance of occupational therapy in the success of myoelectric clients. The second day was a hands-on lab concentrating on fabrication, fit, and component selection for upper-extremity limb loss clients. Once the prostheses were completed, functional tasks and controls training were addressed by Otto Bock's occupational therapists with each prosthetic student and upper-extremity limb loss client in attendance. The program was very successful and will be repeated at other prosthetic schools throughout the year. Educating Occupational Therapists In February, Otto Bock's first full-day program for therapists was held in Orlando, Florida. The seminar, entitled, "Upper-Extremity Limb Loss Rehabilitation: An Introductory Course for Therapists," was attended by ten therapists, two prosthetists, three client models, and one case manager. It was truly a dynamic day, focusing on amputation levels, prosthetic options, an introduction to myoelectrics, computerized evaluation tools for muscle site testing, control options in myoelectrics, and pre- and post-prosthetic therapy. Hands-on labs provided therapists with an opportunity to test a client's muscle sites using Otto Bock's MyoBoy® system, an evaluation tool that can also be used for training, documentation, and component selection. A hands-on lab for work with electrodes and other MYOBOCK" products was also provided. Throughout the day, the client models assisted the therapists in learning about real-life concerns faced by upper-extremity limb loss clients on a daily basis. One of the best-known experts in occupational therapy for upper-extremity limb loss, Diane Atkins, OTR/L, consulted with Otto Bock on the course structure and content and attended the Orlando class. Quick Find: EDLE603 Otto Bock's Professional Services Team will conduct more courses around the country throughout the year. For more information, please contact Otto Bock Health Care's Professional Services Department at 800.328.4058 or check course schedules online at www.ottobockus.com . Pat Prigge, CP; Julie Schick, CP, OTR/L; Bambi Anderson, OTR/L; Heather Hoyt, OTR; and Shawn Swanson, OTR/L, are members of the upper-extremity team.

Otto Bock Initiative Includes Upper-Extremity Professional Services Team

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