For an injured worker, finding the right healthcare providers is essential to a successful recovery – whether it’s a general practitioner or a specialist, such as a prosthetist. Choosing the right prosthetist can affect the recovery time and ability of an injured worker, which is why it’s important to find one that will fit the patient’s needs.

Tips for choosing a prosthetist

Here are some aspects to consider during your search:

• Credentials: It’s important to find out the credentials of your potential prosthetists. Are they state licensed or nationally certified? Are they certified by any national organizations such as the American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics & Pedorthics?
• Experience: Another important criteria used for selecting a prosthetist is the amount of experience he or she has. How many years have they been in the profession? Do they have specialized experience serving populations, such as upper limb, lower limb, multiple trauma, or working with veterans? What has their career and work experience looked like as a whole?
• Follow-up care: At Paradigm, we know managing continuity of care is critical, which is why we recommend finding a prosthetist who will be active in providing follow-up care. Does their scope of care go beyond the initial services? When do they consider their role as a care provider fulfilled?
• Measurement: A good prosthetist will use evidence-based medicine, leading to better outcomes. It’s important to find out what types of outcome measurement he or she uses to make sure it aligns with your overarching care plan goals.
• Support groups: We also recommend finding a prosthetist who offers counseling and support groups, since it’s important to treat the whole person—not just an injured worker’s physical condition, but his or her psychological and social needs, as well.

Choosing the right prosthetist is an important decision that may affect the outcomes for an injured worker. By carefully reviewing a clinicians’ profile in advance, you can help ensure that the injured worker who has experienced limb loss will receive the best possible care. If you have any questions about finding a suitable prosthetist or need to speak with a case manager about a workers’ compensation claim, contact Paradigm by visiting our website.