Blog Author: Brittany Pousett (Barber Prosthetics Clinic, Vancouver, Canada)
When providing someone with a prosthesis, we aim to help someone walk in a way that is comfortable and free of pain. Outcome measures are tools that can be used to measure comfort, pain and mobility. When outcome measures are administered two or more times during the same phase of treatment, we can see if a change has occurred and if these goals have been met. For someone who is in their initial rehabilitation, we can measure at the beginning and end of rehabilitation, and for someone receiving a replacement socket, we can measure at the initial evaluation and when the completed socket is provided. However, without knowing how a score compares to others in the same situation or what amount of change is significant, the scores are less meaningful.
This project analyzed outcome measure scores collected in clinical practice over a 9-year period, from 2015 – 2023 and provides normal values along with change values for four commonly used measures that assess comfort, pain, and mobility. By doing this, we can provide clinicians and patients with valuable insight regarding the meaning of the scores when outcome measures are used in treatment. We can also provide suggestions regarding which outcome measures are most useful for assessing changes at different points in time so that clinicians can be intentional about selecting outcome measures that are most appropriate and effective.”
Access the full article at the link below:
https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/cpoj/article/view/43890/33243