Skip to main content
Alert

Effective Nov. 1, 2023, clients and families, visitors, vendors and staff are required to wear a mask while moving throughout the hospital, including while in elevators, in spaces where clients receive care or participate in research. A medical grade mask will be available upon entry.

#cc0033

Getting the Prosthetic Upper Extremity Prosthetic Index (PUFI-2) into clinical use


Background

To maintain the strong momentum achieved with the PUFI-2’s re-launch and optimize its clinical acceptance and international uptake, the study team is co-designing implementation process maps and training tools to support the PUFI-2’s consistent and successful use here at Holland Bloorview and in up to 12 prosthetic clinics internationally. Following this co-creation, outcomes of the implementation at each clinic will be evaluated.


Objective 

To maintain the strong momentum achieved with the PUFI-2’s re-launch and optimize its clinical acceptance and international uptake, the study team is co-designing implementation process maps and training tools to support the PUFI-2’s consistent and successful use here at Holland Bloorview and in up to 12 prosthetic clinics internationally. Following this co-creation, outcomes of the implementation at each clinic will be evaluated.


Approach

Participating international prosthetic clinics will be given full access to PUFI-2 and then will meet with a team member to receive an orientation for the PUFI-2 and its REDCAP platform, and then create their clinic’s PUFI-2 initial implementation plan.

Each participating clinic will use the PUFI-2 with at least 5 different clients as part of their clinic appointment assessment process visit.

After 2 months, clinicians will complete a clinician feedback survey about the relevance of the PUFI-2 to their clinical practice and clinic. One to two weeks after, the clinician will meet with a team member to discuss their survey results and provide more detail on their experience suing the PUFI-2.

After using the PUFI-2 for five months, the clinician will fill out another feedback survey, and one to two weeks later, the clinician will once again meet with team members to discuss the results of the survey responses as well as their thoughts on the implementation process. This interview will allow the clinicians to provide general feedback as well as let the research team know how valuable the PUFI-2 is in the follow up context.

At the end of the study (Summer 2023), a webinar focus group meeting will be held with all clinicians who participate in the study to share the results.


Impact 

The results of this study will help us put the PUFI-2 ‘back into action’ for clients and families around the world. This may help clinicians make parent and child informed decisions about treatments for children who use an upper limb prosthesis, to help optimize both their prosthetic function and contribute to their overall health development and achievement of functional goals that are important to them. One of the main actions coming from our early learnings in this research is the need for an easily accessible of a PUFI-2 Web App that children and families will be able to use to complete the PUFI-2. We have partnered with our Bloorview Research Institute Commercialisation office (Sharon Wong and Aleena Walji) and with their help with two student groups from Humber College (Capstone projects), plan the release of prototype PUFI-2 Web App for testing with international partners in the Fall 2023.


Funding

This project is funded by the Centres for Leadership and the generous support of donors and Holland Bloorview Foundation, as well as Virginia Wright’s Holland Bloorview Kid’s Hospital Foundation Chair in Pediatric Rehabilitation and Health Measurement funding.

A girl using her left hand with a machine on to hold a tabletA girl practising mobility with her left handA boy with his machined left hand trying to hold a strawberry

Principal Investigators

Lisa Artero, Co-Principal Investigator

Sandra Ramdial, Co-Principal Investigator

Virginia Wright, Co-Principal Investigator


Research Team

Meghan Donohue, Family Leader

Gloria Lee, Research Manager

Kathryn Parker (Teaching and Learning), Project Team Member

Learn more about this study