Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies
Date Submitted: Aug 25, 2020
Date Accepted: Sep 22, 2020
Date Submitted to PubMed: Oct 2, 2020
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Leveraging Digital Technology to overcome barriers in the Prosthetic and Orthotic Industry: an evaluation of its applicability and use during the COVID-19 pandemic.
ABSTRACT
Background:
The prosthetic and orthotic (P&O) industry typically provides an artisan "hands-on" approach to assessment and fitting of orthopedic devices. Despite growing interest in digital technology for P&O service provision, little is known of the quantum of use and the extent to which the current pandemic has accelerated the adoption.
Objective:
This study's objective is to assess the use of digital technology in P&O and whether its use can help overcome challenges posed by the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods:
A Web-based survey of working Prosthetists/Orthotists and lower limb patients was conducted between June-July 2020 and divided into three sections: Lower limb amputees, Prosthetist/Orthotist currently using digital technologies in their practice and Prosthetist/Orthotist not using any digital technology. The input was sought from industry and academia experts for the development of the survey. Descriptive analyses were performed for both qualitative (open-ended questions) and quantitative data.
Results:
In total, 113 individuals responded to the Web-based survey. 83 surveys were included in the analysis (patients: 15%; prosthetists/orthotists: 85%). 30 surveys were excluded because less than 10% of the questions were answered. 44% of the prosthetist/orthotists utilizes digital technologies. 3D scanning and imaging were the leading digital technologies being used, primarily for footwear, AFOs, transtibial and transfemoral sockets. Digital technology is particularly suitable for scanning of prosthetics during COVID-19. The use of virtual care was reported by the prosthetists/orthotists to be beneficial. However, the technology could not overcome inherent barriers such as the lack of details normally obtained during a physical assessment. Virtual care could be useful for education, monitoring, or triaging purposes or in rural settings.
Conclusions:
Digital technology is transforming healthcare. The current pandemic highlights its usefulness, but digital technology must be implemented thoughtfully and designed to address issues that are barriers to current adoption. Technology advancements utilizing virtual platforms, digitalization methods, and improved connectivity will continue to change the future healthcare delivery. The prosthetic and orthotic industry should keep an open mind and move towards creating the required infrastructure to support this digital transformation, even if the world returns to pre-COVID-19 days.
Citation
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Copyright
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