Prosthetic Rehabilitation in Practice: An Exploration of Experiential Knowledge in the Multidisciplinary Team. (January 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sanders, Phoebe; Wadey, Ross; Day, Melissa; Winter, Stacy
• Is Part Of: Qualitative health research. Volume 31:Number 2(2021)
• Page Start: 309
• Page End: 322
• Publication Date: 2021-01
• Subjects: amputation -- rehabilitation -- multidisciplinary team -- qualitative -- United Kingdom; Health -- Periodicals; Health behavior -- Periodicals; Health -- Research -- Methodology -- Periodicals; Health behavior -- Research -- Methodology -- Periodicals; 610.7205
• DOI: 10.1177/1049732320933272
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1049-7323

Abstract

The aim of this research was to explore the experiential knowledge of patient-facing staff working in a prosthetic rehabilitation center in the United Kingdom. Eleven members of staff with varied roles and levels of experience took part in semi-structured interviews. Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. Six themes were identified: (a) defining successful rehabilitation, (b) the complex reality of patient-centered care, (c) organizational and interpersonal challenges, (d) who provides psychological support ? (e) prosthetic as a panacea, and (f) crash landing . These findings highlight the impact of rotational roles in an environment reliant on experiential knowledge, the challenge of applying patient-centered care models, and the negative effect of unrealistic beliefs about prosthetics on patients and staff. This study contributes to a limited pool of literature articulating the experiential knowledge of staff in the context of rehabilitation after major lower limb loss, facilitating the translation of practice-based evidence into evidence-based practice.