PATIENT INFORMATION ON PROSTHETICS (PIP) PROJECT

Background

The Patient Information on Prosthetics (PIP) Project is a collaboration between the Murray Foundation, the National Centre for Training and Education in P/O and HealthQWest. The aim of the project is to investigate the type and level of information relating to prosthetic devices available to amputees and their families and carers prior to or immediately following loss of limb, throughout the rehabilitation process, and thereafter, and to ascertain whether service users believe that they would benefit from enhanced provision. To facilitate this a number of focus groups were held throughout Scotland in the summer of 2006.

Two key themes emerged from these groups, namely the difficulty in obtaining useful information about prosthetic devices and the level of communication between amputees and healthcare professionals about those devices. To conclude the project and also to prioritise any future research in this area, the original focus group participants were invited to a second workshop, which was held at Stirling University in June of this year


Key Findings from Stirling workshop

Communication

The culture of prosthetic services needs to change by encouraging more sharing of information between amputees and prosthetists about prosthetic devices 

Limited consultation time should not be seen as a barrier to sharing information between amputee and prosthetist

Information

New amputees might find power questions useful in facilitating discussions with prosthetists about what prosthetic device is right for them. These questions would be particularly helpful to new amputees who are embarking on their rehabilitation

There needs to be an information resource/guide about prosthetic devices which relates to the desired lifestyle of the amputee

The workshop participants were clear that further research around information and communication about prosthetic devices was not needed, because there was already a clear understanding of the issues. It is now a question of formulating a course of action by using the available resources and knowledge of the Murray Foundation, its volunteers and collaborators.