Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Practice Analysis Task Force
- Introduction
- Executive Summary
- Survey of Practice
- Results Related to Professional Background, Work Setting and Demographic Information
- Results Relating to Domains of Practice
- Results Relating to the Tasks
- Results Related to the Knowledge and Skills Statements
- Results Related to Practice Areas, Devices and Activities
- Qualitative Responses
©2024 by the American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics & Pedorthics, Inc. All rights reserved.
No part of this document may be produced in any form without written permission of the American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics & Pedorthics, Inc.
Practice Analysis of ABC Certified Assistants in the Disciplines of Orthotics and Prosthetics
January 2012
Results Related to the Knowledge and Skills Statements
Knowledge and skills were rated using the following scales.
- Point of Acquisition: At what point should this knowledge or skill be acquired by an orthotic/ prosthetic assistant?
- Criticality: How critical is the knowledge or skill to optimizing outcomes for patients and/or caregivers?
Respondents were asked when they thought the knowledge or skill should be acquired. Of the respondents, 94% thought General musculoskeletal anatomy, including upper limb, lower limb, spinal and Anatomical landmarks (surface anatomy) should be acquired before certification. There were a number of knowledge and skills statements that less than 50% of respondents reported as needing to be acquired by the time of certification. In all cases, respondents did not rate these as not necessary; rather, they felt they should be acquired primarily after certification.
Table 17
| Knowledge Statements |
|---|
| General musculoskeletal anatomy, including upper limb, lower limb, spinal |
| Basic neuroanatomy (e.g., major peripheral nerves of the upper and lower extremities) |
| Anatomical landmarks (surface anatomy) |
| Anatomical planes, planes of motion, and normal joint range of motion |
| Normal human locomotion |
| Gait deviations |
| Tissue characteristics/management |
| Volumetric control (e.g., edema, weight gain/loss) |
| Biomechanics (e.g., actions of lever arms, application of force system) |
| Pathologies, including cause and progression (e.g., orthopedic, neurologic, vascular) |
| Medical terminology |
| Referral documents |
| Documentation techniques |
| Policies and procedures regarding protected healthcare information |
| Reimbursement protocols (e.g., CMS, Medicaid) |
| Material safety procedures and standards (e.g., OSHA, MSDS) |
| Universal precautions, including sterile techniques and infection control |
| Ethical standards regarding proper patient management, including ABC Code of Professional |
| Responsibility |
| Scopes of practice related to orthotic/prosthetic credentials |
| Boundaries of the orthotic/prosthetic assistant scope of practice |
| Orthotic/prosthetic design |
| Orthotic/prosthetic fitting criteria |
| Orthotic/prosthetic fabrication |
| Clinical examination techniques |
| Impression-taking techniques, materials, devices and equipment |
| Rectification/modification procedures as they relate to specific orthotic/prosthetic designs |
| Measurement tools and techniques |
| Orthotic/prosthetic forms (e.g., assessment, orthometry, measurement, evaluation, outcomes) |
| Materials science |
| Componentry |
| Alignment devices and techniques |
| Hand and power tools |
| Care and maintenance of orthoses/prostheses |
| Computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) |
| Item warranty and warranty limitations |
| Loss control (e.g., risk management, inventory control) |
| Research and literature |
| Human development and aging, ranging from pediatric to geriatric, as they relate to orthotic and prosthetic treatment |
| The psychology of the disabled |
| Patient educational materials |
| Federal and state rules, regulations and guidelines (e.g., FDA, ADA, HIPAA) |
| ABC Facility Accreditation Standards |
| Skill Statements |
| Communicating with patient/family/caregiver |
| Communicating with orthotists/prosthetists and other staff |
| Identifying gross surface anatomy |
| Interpretation of physical findings (e.g., recognizing skin pressures, dermatological conditions) |
| Identifying normal and pathological gait/motion |
| Impression-taking/measuring for orthoses/prostheses |
| Use of mechanical measuring devices |
| Use of electronic measuring devices |
| Use of computer-based measuring devices |
| Patient delineation, rectification and/or patient model modification |
| Orthotic/prosthetic fabrication |
| Use of safety equipment |
| Use of hand and power tools |
| Use of materials and components |
| Use of alignment devices |
| Aesthetic finishing |
| Evaluating fit and function of an orthosis/prosthesis |
| Adjusting and modifying orthoses/prostheses |
| Maintaining and repairing orthoses/prostheses |
| Documentation |
