Open AccessProsthetic management of unilateral transradial amputation and limb deficiency: Consensus clinical standards of care
Author(s) -
Erin M. O’Brien,
Phillip M. Stevens,
Steve Mandacina,
Craig Jackman
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of rehabilitation and assistive technologies engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2055-6683
DOI - 10.1177/20556683211065262
Subject(s) - delphi method , medicine , amputation , physical therapy , clinical practice , delphi , population , physical medicine and rehabilitation , surgery , computer science , environmental health , artificial intelligence , operating system
Upper limb research is currently lacking detailed clinical guidance on the provision of unilateral transradial prostheses. Clinical practice guidelines are meant to serve as assistance for the decision-making process, and Delphi surveys have been used with increasing frequency within orthotics and prosthetics to create these guidelines for clinical practice.Methods A three round Delphi survey was used to gain consensus on clinical statements regarding unilateral transradial prostheses.Results We achieved consensus (> 80% agreement) on a total of 40 statements by surveying 22 experts on upper limb prosthetics over three rounds of surveys. Response rate ranged from 81.8–86.4% with a total of 55 total statements under consideration throughout the duration of the survey. The 40 passing statements were arranged into nine guidelines for provision of prosthetic care in this population.Conclusions The Delphi technique allowed for the creation of a set of clinical practice guidelines for the unilateral transradial patient in the absence of conclusive empirical evidence.