2022 Practice Analysis Available

The 2022 Practice Analysis of Certified Practitioners is now available! The report describes the contemporary practice of ABC certified orthotists and prosthetists and is conducted every seven years. The study provides data that supports certification exams, primary education curriculum, continuing education content creation as well as residency program practicum.

Highlights include:

  • The continuing shift in the gender demographics of the profession. The most dramatic change is in orthotics, where women now represent 48% of respondents, up from 28% in the previous study. In prosthetics, the percentage of women grew from 18% to 25% of respondents. 

  • A significantly larger number of respondents reported possessing a master’s degree with 30% more orthotic respondents possessing a master’s degree than in the 2015 study. Among prosthetic respondents, that percentage grew  by 22%. 

  • Orthotic practitioners are providing significantly more care for pediatric patients today than in the 2015 study, increasing from 37% in 2015 to 48% in this study. 

  • There has been a continued shift away from onsite fabrication to utilizing a central fabrication source. This is most evident in orthotics. In the 2007 study, respondents reported that 70% of their custom fabrication was done onsite, falling to 57% in 2015 and now stands at 39%. In prosthetics the shift is less dramatic, but the percentage of onsite fabrication has declined from 79% in 2007 to 61% in the current analysis.

 

A special thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s study. Your input was critical for this analysis of the current trends and future direction of the profession.

 

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