Research project

People powered prosthetics: prosthetic innovation driven by user needs: HEIF 2018/19

Project overview

We undertook a Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) activity which aimed to identify and prioritise research and development that is required to create lower limb prostheses that meet the lifestyle needs of users. We undertook PPI workshops which embraced the principles of user-centred and co-design, seeking to involve a range of public at the earliest stage in undertaking research i.e. in the exploration of new research and/or research prioritisation. Two workshops involved health care professionals, academics and designers working in rehabilitation following lower limb amputation, and two involved adult service users and their families and carers.

Over 25 people attended the workshops. Seven key areas of importance were identified, in which prosthetic limb users felt further focus was needed to ensure prosthetic componentry met their needs:
•socket comfort as a priority
•personalisation
•real world rehabilitation
•communication between service providers
•device sustainability
•sharing experience to increase knowledge
•recognising psychological wellbeing

Staff

Lead researchers

Other researchers

Professor Maggie Donovan-Hall

Professor
Connect with Maggie

Professor Cheryl Metcalf

Head of School
Connect with Cheryl

Collaborating research institutes, centres and groups

Research outputs

Florence Mbithi, Maggie Donovan-Hall, Jennifer Louise Bramley, Joshua Steer, Harry Rossides, Pete Worsley, Chantel Marie Ostler, Cheryl Metcalf, Dominic Hannett, Caroline Ward, Jack Kitchen, Sioned Steventon, Katy McIntosh, Shigong Guo, Helen Harvey, David Henderson Slater, Vijay Kolli & Alex Dickinson, 2024
Type: other