Prosthetics research enters outcomes era

Prosthetics research enters outcomes era
By: Andria Segedy

Practitioners providing new, high-technology prosthetic devices face health insurance companies increasingly requiring documented patient satisfaction. In the prosthetic market, product manufacturers have often been the funding source for research on product efficacy.

But late last year, the Department of Veterans Affairs stepped up with a multimillion-dollar research project that includes a look at outcome measurement tools (see "Wide-ranging VA project takes amputee research to next level," February, page 17). And this year, Hanger is developing patient protocols and outcome measures in its 600 patient care facilities.

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