Many activities of daily living and on-the-job tasks require using our arms and hands. This fact, combined with the lesser occurrence of upper-limb amputations compared to lower-limb, primary traumatic etiology, high prosthetic rejection rates, and frequent lack of understanding of O&P solutions by payers, create distinct challenges from a clinical and business perspective in providing care for people with upper-limb amputations and impairments.
Returning to work following amputation is often an important goal for patients, and studies have shown that people with upper-limb loss who use prostheses are more likely to be employed. “On the Job With an Upper-limb Prosthesis” discusses a holistic strategy for helping patients use their prostheses at work, which involves psychologists for those who screen positive for post-traumatic stress disorder or depression, worksite visits to give occupational/hand therapists insight into patients’ activities on the job, and case managers, as well as prosthetists and physicians.
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