A team of researchers set out to define the elements of an ideal physical therapist (PT) from the perspective of individuals with limb loss. As one of the primary drivers of the rehabilitation process, PTs are necessary to maximize function and promote independence following amputation, but the researchers noted that it was unclear what individuals with limb loss value in their PTs.
The mixed-method study design consisted of a web-based survey and semistructured interviews. From the 73 completed surveys, the respondents were primarily female (53 percent) with a mean age of 54.4 years. Most participants were educated beyond high school and had an average of 13.6 years since their initial amputation, with most having had a transtibial amputation (51 percent) due to trauma or infection (54 percent).
According to the study, the participants described an ideal PT as promoting a strong therapeutic alliance through communication, having specialized knowledge when it comes to the limb loss rehabilitation process, and collaborating with the prosthetist to problem-solve throughout the rehabilitation process. The PT’s knowledge about limb loss was found to be both the greatest facilitator and barrier to the rehabilitation process.
The open-access study, “The ideal physical therapist from the perspective of individuals with limb loss,” was published in Canadian Prosthetics & Orthotics.
