Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Practice Analysis Task Force
- Introduction
- Results Related to Professional Background, Work Setting and Demographic Information
- Results Related to Domains, Tasks and Knowledge and Skill Statements
- Domain Ratings
- Task Ratings
- Knowledge and Skills Ratings
- Results Related to Practice Areas and Devices
- Highlights
©2024 by the American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics & Pedorthics, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Practice Analysis of Certified Technicians in the Disciplines of Orthotics and Prosthetics
January 2017
Domain Ratings
This section presents the results of the ratings related to the eight domains delineated in the survey. Respondents to the survey rated each of the domains on two ratings scales:
- % of Time: Overall, what percentage of your work time did you spend performing the tasks related to each domain during the past year?
- Criticality: How critical is this domain to optimizing outcomes for patients, caregivers and healthcare providers?
Table 16 presents the results of the percentage of time and criticality ratings. As can be seen, respondents spent the majority of their technician work in the Fabrication domain regardless of their perspective (52% for the total sample), followed by Materials, Componentry and Design (15% for the total sample). The other six specifically delineated domains each accounted for less than 10% of technician work time. Respondents wrote in time spent in Other domains, which accounted for only slightly more than 1% of work time and largely focused on inventory, purchasing and customer contacts.
The mean Criticality rating for the two domains in which they spend much of their time indicates that these domains are between moderately and highly critical.
Overall, this table provides a profile of practice for orthotic and prosthetic technicians. They can be used to describe the profession to individuals in related healthcare professions and to the public. The profiles of practice can be used by academic programs as a means of assessing curricular offerings and/or program requirements. Similarly, the profiles of practice can be used by providers of in-service education to plan course offerings, including entry-level and/ or advanced-level workshops. Finally, the profiles of practice can be used by supervisors and/or employers in order to develop job descriptions and/or performance evaluation forms.
Table 16
| Percentage of Time 1 | Criticality2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Domain 1–Initiation of Treatment Plan | ||
| Review patient information to determine the technical requirements for the orthotic/prosthetic intervention and consult with the treating clinician, as needed, to confirm treatment objectives | 3% | 2.1 |
| Domain 2–Biomechanics | ||
| Verify that the static alignment of the orthosis/prosthesis is appropriate and confirm that the orthosis/prosthesis functions as required | 5% | 2.4 |
| Domain 3–Implementation of the Treatment Plan | ||
| Assist clinician, based on work setting, in obtaining model, measurements or scan, review assessment of fit of orthosis/ prosthesis, make necessary adjustments or modifications to accomplish treatment goals | 4% | 2.2 |
| Domain 4–Materials, Componentry and Design | ||
| Determine orthosis/prosthesis design requirements and verify that materials, componentry and design are consistent with established treatment plan including confirmation of structural integrity of device | 15% | 3.5 |
| Domain 5–Fabrication | ||
| Consult with clinician about fabrication requirements and perform modifications of model/image, fabricate/assemble orthosis/prosthesis, assure device meets manufacturers’ guidelines and document fabrication process | 52% | 3.9 |
| Domain 6–Follow-Up | ||
| Make modifications, adjustments or repairs of orthosis/ prosthesis, as directed by the treating clinician | 4% | 2.4 |
| Domain 7–Facility Management | ||
| Maintain a safe and professional work environment including performing and documenting machine and equipment maintenance and calibration | 8% | 2.8 |
| Domain 8–Professional Responsibility | ||
| Follow patient care guidelines and procedures, adhere to applicable laws and regulations and participate in continuing professional development | 1% | 3.2 |
| Other | 1% | 2.3 |
1 Overall, what percentage of your work time did you spend performing the tasks related to each domain during the past year?
2 How critical is this domain to optimizing outcomes for patients, caregivers and healthcare providers?
1=Not critical, 2=Minimally critical, 3=Moderately critical and 4=Highly critical
