Exploring the Perspectives of Different Professions on Task-Based Upper-Limb Prosthesis Assessment Techniques

Effective evaluation of upper-limb prostheses is essential for guiding clinical care, advancing research, and informing device development. There are numerous clinically validated, task-based assessments of function, in which users complete various activities with their prosthesis. Although these tools provide important insights into the users' upper extremity function, their selection varies widely by professional domain and by the purpose of the assessment.

To better understand these differences, we conducted a cross-professional survey of 100 physical and occupational therapists, prosthetists, physicians, and researchers practicing in the upper extremity prosthesis field. Respondents reported their familiarity and use of 25 task-based assessments and ranked the relative importance of test attributes such as administration time, validity, comprehensiveness, and ability to track patient progress.

Results revealed both common and varying priorities: validity and the ability to track patient progress were universally emphasized, while researchers placed relatively higher importance on comprehensiveness, and clinicians favored short administration times. The Box and Block Test was the most widely used across professions.

These findings highlight the way in which profession, competing priorities and practical constraints influence the choice of tests used to evaluate upper-limb prosthetic function.