Education in prosthetic and orthotic training

Abstract

There is a long history of prosthetic and orthotic services helping to mitigate the impact of physical impairment by restoring function, and enabling and equipping the user. The training of health professionals who design, fit, and maintain prosthetic and orthotic devices has evolved over the centuries, reflecting an increase in knowledge, technology, understanding, and social attitudes in each era. Improvements in pedagogical thinking and biomechanical understanding, as well as the advent of new integrated technologies, have driven the profession over the past 50 years to modernize, evolve training and service delivery models in line with new attitudes toward clients, and search for new ways to improve users’ quality of life. In this narrative review, the authors examined the evolution of prosthetic and orthotic education, the impact of changing educational techniques and technologies, and the impact of the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics in that process. Through conversations with experts and review of peer-reviewed literature, accreditation documents, and the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics records and databases, the authors identified three areas of change in prosthetics and orthotics education over the past 50 years: (1) prosthetic/orthotic curriculum content, (2) pedagogy and course delivery, and (3) internships/residencies. This narrative review is a snapshot of a growing profession and we can only speculate where the next 50 years will lead us as we strive to serve patients, ever placing their needs and aspirations at the center of this professional service.

Fostering integration among students with different backgrounds using an orthotic community service program

“…This is in line with a study's finding that physical travel and cultural competencies improve the cross-cultural learning while demanding effort and social dynamics. 28,29 The study findings also demonstrated that the international service-learning programs are potentially beneficial to the development of intercultural competence by virtue of their immersive nature which facilitates the intercultural interaction; this is the fact that could not be replicated in classrooms and the formal curricular programs. 13 Service learning is also beneficial to students because many employers seek for generic competencies in employees including communication skills, attitude, team working, decision-making, and problem-solving skills, 27 and this was the item admitted by Hong Kong and American students during the group interviews.…”

“…This is in line with a study's finding that physical travel and cultural competencies improve the cross-cultural learning while demanding effort and social dynamics. 28,29 The study findings also demonstrated that the international service-learning programs are potentially beneficial to the development of intercultural competence by virtue of their immersive nature which facilitates the intercultural interaction; this is the fact that could not be replicated in classrooms and the formal curricular programs. 13…”

Work-related musculoskeletal pain in prosthetists and orthotists: a comparison between Australia and other countries

“…The decision to exclude these responses was due to the difference in clinical and technical work compared with more developed countries. 26-28…”

“…The decision to exclude these responses was due to the difference in clinical and technical work compared with more developed countries. [26][27][28] Across all respondents, 52% (n 5 119) were women. Mean length of employment as a prosthetist or orthotist was 2 years (SD 5 4.3) and mean weekly hours of work was 42.2 hours (SD 5 11.4).…”

Overcoming Challenges and Innovations in Orthopedic Prosthesis Design: An Interdisciplinary Perspective

“…Interdisciplinary collaboration is becoming increasingly important in the field of orthopedic prosthesis design [ 52 ]. By bringing together experts from various disciplines such as materials science, biomechanics, medicine, and engineering, it is possible to develop more effective solutions that address the complex challenges of orthopedic prosthesis design [ 53 ].…”