Abstract
Objective
To systematically review perceptions from adults, children, and caregivers in scientific
and open sources to determine how well lower extremity orthotic devices (LEODs) meet
users’ functional, expressive, aesthetic, and accessibility (FEA2) needs.
Data Sources
Scientific source searches were conducted in the National Library of Medicine (PubMed/MEDLINE)
and Web of Science; open source searches were conducted in Google Search Engine in
April 2020.
Study Selection
Inclusion criteria were reporting of users’ perceptions about a LEOD, experimental
or observational study design, including qualitative studies, and full text in English.
Studies were excluded if the device only provided compression or perception data could
not be extracted. One hundred seventy three scientific sources of 3440 screened were
included (total of 1108 perceptions); 36 open sources of 150 screened were included
(total of 508 perceptions).
Data Extraction
Users’ perceptions were independently coded by 2 trained, reliable coders.
Data Synthesis
Across both source types, there were more perceptions about functional needs, and
perceptions were more likely to be positive related to functional than expressive,
aesthetic, or accessibility needs. Perceptions about expression, aesthetics, and accessibility
were more frequently reported and more negative in open vs scientific sources. Users’
perceptions varied depending on users’ diagnosis and device type.
Conclusions
There is significant room for improvement in how LEODs meet users’ FEA2 needs, even
in the area of function, which is often the primary focus when designing rehabilitation
devices. Satisfaction with LEODs may be improved by addressing users’ unmet needs.
Individuals often choose not to use prescribed LEODs even when LEODs improve their
function. This systematic review identifies needs for LEODs that are most important
to users and highlights how well existing LEODs address those needs. Attention to
these needs in the design, prescription, and implementation of LEODs may increase
device utilization.
Keywords
List of abbreviations:
AFO (ankle-foot orthosis), EA2 (expressive, aesthetic, and accessibility), FEA2 (functional, expressive, aesthetic, and accessibility), HKAFO (hip-knee-ankle-foot orthoses), KAFO (knee-ankle-foot orthoses), LEOD (lower extremity orthotic device), PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses)To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: November 14, 2022
Accepted:
October 26,
2022
Received in revised form:
October 13,
2022
Received:
May 18,
2022
Publication stage
In Press Journal Pre-ProofFootnotes
Preliminary data analyses were presented at the Combined Sections Meeting of the American Physical Therapy Association, On Demand Session (2022), and a poster presentation at the Combined Sections Meeting of the American Physical Therapy Association, On Demand (2021).
This work was supported by the UNIDEL Distinguished Graduate Fellowship (Orlando). The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.
Disclosures: None.
Identification
Copyright
© 2022 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine.
