Practice Analysis of Certified Technicians in the Disciplines of Orthotics and Prosthetics

Professional Background, Work Setting and Demographic Information

• More than half of respondents (60%) answered from the perspective of a prosthetic technician and 40% answered from the perspective of an orthotic technician.
• Respondents came from 42 different jurisdictions, and were predominantly White or Caucasian (86%) and male (90%).
• The most frequent educational level of respondents was high school/GED with O/P technician certificate (43%), followed by an associates’ degree (20%), a bachelor’s degree (14%), high school (12%) and high school/GED and O/P short-term courses (8%).
• Respondents had an average of 19.6 years of technician experience.
• Almost one third (34%) of respondents’ primary work settings were in a privately owned multi-facility orthotics or prosthetics practice, while 15% were in a hospital-based practice. Nearly 10% were in a privately owned single practice and about 15% were in a publicly owned multi-facility practice.
• Seventy-five percent of respondents were employees of a single or multi-facility practice; about 8% were fabrication company owners; and another 7% were employees of a fabrication company.
• Of respondents answering from the orthotic perspective, two thirds (63%) of time is spent in orthotic fabrication, 9% in prosthetic fabrication and 9% doing some type of clinical patient care.
• Of respondents answering from the prosthetic perspective, slightly less than two thirds of time (57%) is spent in prosthetics fabrication, 17% of time is spent in orthotic fabrication and 10% of time is spent doing some type of clinical patient care (either with supervision or unsupervised).
• Seventy-one percent of respondents worked in a facility with 1-5 other technicians, and an additional 17% worked in a facility with 6-10 other technicians. Fifty-six percent worked in a facility with 1-5 practitioners, and an additional 18% worked with 6-10 practitioners.

Domains, Tasks, Knowledge and Skill Statements

• Technicians indicated that they spend the most time performing tasks associated with the Fabrication Domain (52%), followed by Materials, Componentry and Design (15%).
• The domains Fabrication and Materials, Componentry and Design are rated as at least moderately critical (3.9 and 3.5 respectively).
• Task frequency ratings range from a low of 2.3 (rarely performed) for Develop and document long-term service plan to a high of 4.8 (frequently to very frequently performed) for four tasks: Fabricate/assemble an orthosis and/or prosthesis to prepare for initial or diagnostic fitting and/or delivery; Assess device for structural safety and ensure that manufacturers’ guidelines have been followed prior to patient fitting/delivery (e.g., torque values, patient weight limits, manufacturers’ guidelines); Adhere to applicable local, state and federal laws and regulations (e.g., OSHA, FDA); and Follow patient care guidelines and procedures (e.g., ABC Code of Professional Responsibility, ABC Orthotic, Prosthetic and Pedorthic Scope of Practice, quality control programs, ABC Facility Accreditation Standards).
• Task criticality ratings are likewise lowest for Develop and document long-term service plan (2.4, minimally critical) but are at least 2.6 (minimally to moderately critical) for all other tasks.
• Knowledge statement criticality ranges from a high of 3.8 (moderately to highly critical) for Anatomical landmarks and Hand/power tools to a low of 2.3 (minimally critical) for Psychology of the disabled.
• Skill statement criticality ranges from a high of 3.9 (moderately to highly critical) for Use of safety equipment to a low of 2.5 (minimally critical) for Interpretation of physical findings and Using computer-based measuring devices.
• The overall pattern of the Frequency and Criticality ratings on the tasks, knowledge and skills indicates that the practice analysis delineation included the critical components used by orthotic and prosthetic technicians in practice. The pattern of Frequency and Criticality ratings validates the use of these tasks in initiatives related to examination development.

Orthotic and Prosthetic Practice Areas and Devices

• Technicians working in the orthotic profession spend the majority of their work time (74%) working in the Lower Extremity practice area. The majority of this time is spent with AFO devices (36%). The Spinal area consumes the next largest percent of time (12%) followed by Scoliosis (6%) and Upper Extremity (5%).
• Orthotic technicians performed six listed activities at different rates depending on the practice area. Overall, Fabricate was performed most frequently, followed by Modify/ repair/replace.
• Technicians working in the prosthetic profession spend the majority of their work time (47%) in the Transtibial area, followed by Transfemoral (30%), Symes (8%).
• Prosthetic technicians performed the six activities at different rates depending on the practice area. Overall, Fabricate was performed most frequently, followed by Modify/ repair/replace.