Prosthetic profile of people with lower extremity amputation: conception and design of a follow-up questionnaire

A questionnaire, the Prosthetic Profile of the Amputee (PPA), is described both in terms of its conceptualization and design. The objectives of the questionnaire (mail and telephone versions) were to evaluate and to determine the factors potentially related to prosthetic use by a person with a lower extremity amputation after discharge from rehabilitation. The PRECEDE theoretical model (Predisposing Reinforcing and Enabling Causes in Educational Diagnosis and Evaluation) was adapted to the present study and served as a guide for the conceptual basis of the instrument. A multidisciplinary group of 13 experts and another group of eight persons with lower limb amputation were involved in the identification, classification, and priority rating of the factors related to prosthetic use. The design of the questionnaire was structured according to Dillman's Total Design Method. To ensure the content validity of the instrument, the pertinence of each question with regard to the questionnaire's objectives was assessed by the group of experts. Pretesting of the questionnaire was then conducted with a random sample of 26 people with lower extremity amputations. The preliminary version of the instrument has already demonstrated the potential for clinical and research use.