Education Level Among Patients with Major Limb Amputation

Introduction Despite all the advances in medicine and attempts to delay and prevent amputations, the number of amputations remains high. The state of South Carolina has one of the highest rates of major limb amputation in the country, with Florence and neighboring counties particularly affected. Education level has been associated with an increased number of amputations and worse outcomes post-amputation. The aim of this study was to investigate the education level among patients with major upper and lower limb amputation within the Florence and neighboring counties, which is a part of the Pee Dee region of the state of South Carolina. Materials and methods This is a retrospective chart review study conducted at the outpatient hospital-based Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation clinic. All consecutive amputee patients visiting our outpatient amputee clinic from January 2018 to January 2019 and who met the study inclusion criteria were included in the study. The main outcome measure was the education level. Results Of the sample, 26% had below high school education, 33.8% had high school education, 14.2% had some college education, 19.7% had a college education, and 6.3% had an advanced college degree. Conclusions Patients with major limb amputation have a lower education level compared to the general population. Lower education level as a part of the broader and more complex socioeconomic status may be a possible barrier in the process of post-amputation rehabilitation and long-term care of patients with major limb amputation.