Survey of Individuals Wearing Lower Limb Prostheses

In Brief A research survey of 109 persons with lower limb amputations in 1991 (Nielsen CC, J Prosthet Orthot. 1991;3:125–129) reported on how and when they accessed information about prosthetics and the treatment they received from their prosthetist(s). The results were not very flattering for the healthcare community in general and the prosthetics profession more specifically. Another study in 1989 (Nielson CC et al., J Prosthet Orthot. 1989;1:242–249) reported on amputees' interactions with prosthetists and suggested that “the duration of the visit and the prosthetist's ability to communicate effectively with the patient are two very important factors leading to patient satisfaction,” and it suggested a “fairly high rate of turnover” because approximately 43% of its respondents had seen two or more prosthetists in less than 5 years (Nielson CC et al., J Prosthet Orthot. 1989;1:242–249). A third study in 2004 (Pezzin LE et al., Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2004;85:723–729) yielded favorable results when rating prosthetists on their technical skill, giving information, and interpersonal manners. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to reassess the perspectives of lower limb amputees about their care, because practitioners' understanding of patient satisfaction is important for improving clinical practice and reducing patient turnover. With expectations that the insight gained by these interviews, many of which were conducted face-to-face, would help to identify possible shortcomings in patient care, a 45-question survey was administered over a 7-month period (August 2008 to February 2009) to 50 individuals who were currently using lower limb prostheses. Some of the results of this survey were surprisingly similar to those published in Journal of Prosthetics and Orthotics in 1991. These surveys had two noteworthy conclusions in common, the first related to amputees' access to information about prosthetics, whereas the second addressed patient satisfaction with prosthetic treatment. In 1991, 53% of the amputees surveyed indicated that “little or no prosthetic information was available either prior to or immediately after their amputation.” When asked in this 2009 survey “what/who was your major source of information about your prosthesis prior to your amputation,” 59% of the respondents said “none.” Regarding patient satisfaction levels with their prosthetists, in the 1991 survey, 58% of the participants indicated that they had changed prosthetists because of “dissatisfaction with professional skills and/or the way they were treated by the prosthetist.” When asked in the 2009 survey “why they had seen more than one prosthetist,” 62% of the survey participants indicated that they “were not happy with either ‘service/treatment’ (by their prosthetist) or the ‘fit and/or function' of their prosthesis.” Based on these survey results, the well-being of the 120,000 or more new amputees each year in the United States would be better served if the healthcare community involved with amputations could develop an improved method of informing and educating their patients about what to expect during their recovery, prosthesis fitting, and rehabilitation process. Furthermore, it would seem to be in the best interests of many prosthetic practitioners to explore ways to improve their levels of patient satisfaction both from a personal interaction and clinical perspective. This study aimed to reassess the perspectives of lower limb amputees about their care since understanding patient satisfaction is important to improving clinical practice and reducing patient turnover. Some of the results of this survey were surprisingly similar to those published in another study almost a decade earlier. These surveys had two noteworthy conclusions in common, the first related to amputees' access to information about prosthetics, while the second addressed patient satisfaction with prosthetic treatment.