Development and alpha testing of a patient shared decision aid for prosthesis design for new lower limb prosthesis users.
Chelsey B Anderson, Stefania Fatone, Mark M Mañago and 4 others
PMID 38506643WHAT IT FOUND
A new tool to help patients and prosthetists decide on prosthesis design was rated highly usable by a small group of experts and patients.
It simplifies complex choices but has not yet been tested in real clinics to see if it actually improves care.
Key findings
01A shared decision aid for prosthesis design was developed and rated highly for usability, accuracy, and comprehensibility by steering group members.
02The tool intentionally omits detailed lists of prosthesis options and their pros and cons to avoid overwhelming users, deviating from standard guidelines.
03The development group was small, racially homogenous, and included members with pre-existing relationships to the researchers, which may have influenced their positive feedback.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The study involved only 11 people, and the group was racially homogenous, so the results may not apply to a diverse patient population. Four of the professional participants had pre-existing relationships with the researchers, which may have led them to give more positive feedback than they would have otherwise. The tool has not been tested in a real clinic setting with new patients, so we do not know if it actually helps people make better decisions or improves their satisfaction with their prosthesis. The current format may not work well for patients with language barriers, cognitive issues, or severe literacy limitations. The decision to omit detailed lists of prosthesis options means the tool does not fully meet all standard guidelines for decision aids.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this tool is proven to improve patient outcomes or decision quality. It has only been tested for usability with a small group of experts and patients. Real-world effectiveness in helping new prosthesis users choose their device has not yet been established.