Technology Management as a Core Component of a Client-centric Prosthetic Orthotic Practice Model

Technological innovation has transformed how we communicate, work, and conduct business. Over the next decade how we experience health care both as health care professionals and as client-patients will also change significantly. This presents both an opportunity and a challenge to medical clinical professionals that are device-focused, including prosthetists orthotists, as they consider how best to adapt. Current prosthetic orthotic education and practice is heavily clinically weighted, with less emphasis being given to engineering and business skills. Yet all three are essential core elements of a successful, sustainable prosthetics orthotics practice. Furthermore, it is the latter two that will heavily influence the future face of prosthetics & orthotics. It is not certain how current prosthetic orthotic practitioners can best adapt in response. One solution, proposed in this editorial, could be by rebalancing their professional persona to equally weight the three essential core elements. The result, a Clinical Prosthetic Orthotic Technology Management Professional, would engage in a professional practice that is functionally grounded, uses a client-centric model and incorporate eight professional attributes: professional, advocate, scholar, leader, communicator, collaborator, assistive technology expert and business justification specialist.