While O&P outcome measures are useful for patient care, their initial implementation can be challenging in clinical practice. A study concluded that the use of outcome measures among Canadian prosthetists seemed to be low relative to prosthetists in the United States, but clinicians in both countries face similar challenges.
A survey was conducted to characterize Canadian prosthetists’ use of outcome measures for people with lower-limb amputations, including motivations for use, comfort selecting outcome measures, resources available for administration, and barriers to implementation. The cross-sectional study was conducted between March and July 2021. Orthotics Prosthetics Canada sent Canadian prosthetists an invitation to take the online survey.
Forty-nine certified prosthetists completed the survey, and only 16 percent reported that they were expected to use outcome measures. The participants said they were more comfortable administering performance-based outcome measures than self-report surveys.
More than two-thirds agreed that outcome measures “can be administered with knowledge they have” and are “within their scope of practice.” However, less than 25 percent agreed that outcome measures are “administered in a standardized way in the profession,” and less than 40 percent indicated they are “easy to make part of my routine.” Participants reported they generally have time and space to do outcome measures, but there was no agreed-on reason to use them.
Based on the results, the researchers concluded that education, financial incentives, or changes to professional expectations are likely needed to increase routine outcome measures use in Canada. Efforts to improve the standardization of administration and ease their incorporation into routine practice may also increase use.
“Canadian prosthetists may elevate their standards of clinical practice and better understand the impact of prosthetic treatments on their patients by more routinely using [outcome measures],” the authors wrote.
The study, “Use of standardized outcome measures for people with lower-limb amputation: A survey of prosthetic practitioners in Canada,” was published in Prosthetics and Orthotics International.
