ArticleJMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologies2020
Leveraging Digital Technology to Overcome Barriers in the Prosthetic and Orthotic Industry: Evaluation of its Applicability and Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Article in JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologies, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed.
- To scan or not to scan? Comparing the effectiveness and cost differential of insoles manufactured from foam-box casts versus direct scans in treating musculoskeletal conditions of the foot and ankle: a double-blinded, randomised controlled trial.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2025Trial
- Toward predictive prosthetic socket modeling: Preliminary linear regression models of transradial limb-socket geometry.PLOS digital health · 2026Article
- Is palpation essential in the digital era of orthotic designing?Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2026Article
- PACT: A practice-driven predictive algorithm for customized transradial prosthetic socket design.PloS one · 2026Article
- Essential Requirements and Relevant Technologies for Load-Bearing 3D-Printed Transtibial Prosthetic Sockets and Their Components: State-of-the-Art Review.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologies · 2025Review
- The use of computer-aided design and manufacture for foot orthoses: A cross-sectional study of orthotic services in the UK.Journal of foot and ankle research · 2025Article
- Medical imaging consultation practices and challenges at public hospitals in the Amhara regional state, Northwest Ethiopia: a descriptive phenomenological study.BMC health services research · 2023Article
- Leveraging Digital Workflows to Transition the Orthotics and Prosthetics Profession Toward a Client-Centric and Values-Based Care Model.Canadian prosthetics & orthotics journal · 2023Article
- Use of mobile phones for rehabilitative services among prosthetics users in rural Acholi sub-region of northern Uganda: findings from a qualitative study.BMC medical informatics and decision making · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe prosthetic and orthotic industry typically provides an artisan "hands-on" approach to the assessment and fitting of orthopedic devices. Despite growing interest in digital technology for prosthetic and orthotic service provision, little is known of the quantum of use and the extent to which the current pandemic has accelerated the adoption.
objectiveThis study's aim is to assess the use of digital technology in prosthetics and orthotics, and whether its use can help overcome challenges posed by the current COVID-19 pandemic.
methodsA web-based survey of working prosthetists, orthotists, and lower limb patients was conducted between June and July 2020 and divided into three sections: lower limb amputees, prosthetist and orthotist (P&O) currently using digital technologies in their practice, and P&O not using any digital technology. Input was sought from industry and academia experts for the development of the survey. Descriptive analyses were performed for both qualitative (open-ended questions) and quantitative data.
resultsIn total, 113 individuals responded to the web-based survey. There were 83 surveys included in the analysis (patients: n=13, 15%; prosthetists and orthotists: n=70, 85%). There were 30 surveys excluded because less than 10% of the questions were answered. Out of 70 P&Os, 31 (44%) used digital technologies. Three dimensional scanning and digital imaging were the leading technologies being used (27/31, 88%), primarily for footwear (18/31, 58%), ankle-foot orthoses, and transtibial and transfemoral sockets (14/31, 45%). Digital technology enables safer care during COVID-19 with 24 out of 31 (77%) respondents stating it improves patient outcomes. Singapore was significantly less certain that the industry's future is digital (P=.04). The use of virtual care was reported by the P&O to be beneficial for consultations, education, patient monitoring, or triaging purposes. However, the technology could not overcome inherent barriers such as the lack of details normally obtained during a physical assessment.
conclusionsDigital technology is transforming health care. The current pandemic highlights its usefulness in providing safer care, but digital technology must be implemented thoughtfully and designed to address issues that are barriers to current adoption. Technology advancements using virtual platforms, digitalization methods, and improved connectivity will continue to change the future of health care delivery. The prosthetic and orthotic industry should keep an open mind and move toward creating the required infrastructure to support this digital transformation, even if the world returns to pre-COVID-19 days.
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