Transfemoral amputation and prosthesis provision in Tanzania: Patient and provider perspectives
Background: The burden of disability because of traumatic limb amputation, particularly transfemoral amputation (TFA) is disproportionately carried by low- and middle-income countries. The need for improved access to prosthesis services in these settings is well-documented, but perspectives on the b...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AOSIS
2023-02-01
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| Series: | African Journal of Disability |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://ajod.org/index.php/ajod/article/view/1084 |
| _version_ | 1811161383292633088 |
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| author | Mayur Urva Claire A. Donnelley Sravya T. Challa Billy T. Haonga Saam Morshed David W. Shearer Nooshin Razani |
| author_facet | Mayur Urva Claire A. Donnelley Sravya T. Challa Billy T. Haonga Saam Morshed David W. Shearer Nooshin Razani |
| author_sort | Mayur Urva |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: The burden of disability because of traumatic limb amputation, particularly transfemoral amputation (TFA) is disproportionately carried by low- and middle-income countries. The need for improved access to prosthesis services in these settings is well-documented, but perspectives on the burden imposed by TFA and the challenges associated with subsequent prosthesis provision vary among patients, caregivers and healthcare providers.
Objectives: To examine the burden of TFA and barriers to prosthesis provision as perceived by patient, caregiver and healthcare professional, at a single tertiary referral hospital in Tanzania.
Method: Data were collected from five patients with TFA and four caregivers recruited via convenience sampling, in addition to 11 purposively sampled healthcare providers. All participants participated in in-depth interviews regarding their perceptions of amputation, prostheses and underlying barriers to improving care for persons with TFA in Tanzania. A coding schema and thematic framework were established from interviews using inductive thematic analysis.
Results: All participants noted financial and psychosocial burdens of amputation, and perceived prostheses as an opportunity for return to normality and independence. Patients worried about prosthesis longevity. Healthcare providers noted significant obstacles to prosthesis provision, including infrastructural and environmental barriers, limited access to prosthetic services, mismatched patient expectations and inadequate coordination of care.
Conclusion: This qualitative analysis identifies factors influencing prosthesis-related care for patients with TFA in Tanzania which are lacking in the literature. Persons with TFA and their caregivers experience numerous hardships exacerbated by limited financial, social and institutional support.
Contribution: This qualitative analysis informs future directions for research into improving prosthesis-related care for patients with TFA in Tanzania. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T06:13:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b127848b37074ca395fc5e3f475d3795 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2223-9170 2226-7220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T06:13:10Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | African Journal of Disability |
| spelling | doaj.art-b127848b37074ca395fc5e3f475d37952023-03-02T11:44:41ZengAOSISAfrican Journal of Disability2223-91702226-72202023-02-01120e1e710.4102/ajod.v12i0.1084337Transfemoral amputation and prosthesis provision in Tanzania: Patient and provider perspectivesMayur Urva0Claire A. Donnelley1Sravya T. Challa2Billy T. Haonga3Saam Morshed4David W. Shearer5Nooshin Razani6Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Institute for Global Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University of California, San FranciscoDepartment of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Yale School of Medicine, New HavenDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Harvard University, BostonDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Dar es SalaamOrthopaedic Surgery, Institute for Global Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University of California, San FranciscoOrthopaedic Surgery, Institute for Global Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University of California, San FranciscoDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San FranciscoBackground: The burden of disability because of traumatic limb amputation, particularly transfemoral amputation (TFA) is disproportionately carried by low- and middle-income countries. The need for improved access to prosthesis services in these settings is well-documented, but perspectives on the burden imposed by TFA and the challenges associated with subsequent prosthesis provision vary among patients, caregivers and healthcare providers. Objectives: To examine the burden of TFA and barriers to prosthesis provision as perceived by patient, caregiver and healthcare professional, at a single tertiary referral hospital in Tanzania. Method: Data were collected from five patients with TFA and four caregivers recruited via convenience sampling, in addition to 11 purposively sampled healthcare providers. All participants participated in in-depth interviews regarding their perceptions of amputation, prostheses and underlying barriers to improving care for persons with TFA in Tanzania. A coding schema and thematic framework were established from interviews using inductive thematic analysis. Results: All participants noted financial and psychosocial burdens of amputation, and perceived prostheses as an opportunity for return to normality and independence. Patients worried about prosthesis longevity. Healthcare providers noted significant obstacles to prosthesis provision, including infrastructural and environmental barriers, limited access to prosthetic services, mismatched patient expectations and inadequate coordination of care. Conclusion: This qualitative analysis identifies factors influencing prosthesis-related care for patients with TFA in Tanzania which are lacking in the literature. Persons with TFA and their caregivers experience numerous hardships exacerbated by limited financial, social and institutional support. Contribution: This qualitative analysis informs future directions for research into improving prosthesis-related care for patients with TFA in Tanzania.https://ajod.org/index.php/ajod/article/view/1084transfemoral amputationlow-resource settingprosthetic rehabilitationbarriersqualitativethematic analysiscaregivertanzania. |
| spellingShingle | Mayur Urva Claire A. Donnelley Sravya T. Challa Billy T. Haonga Saam Morshed David W. Shearer Nooshin Razani Transfemoral amputation and prosthesis provision in Tanzania: Patient and provider perspectives African Journal of Disability transfemoral amputation low-resource setting prosthetic rehabilitation barriers qualitative thematic analysis caregiver tanzania. |
| title | Transfemoral amputation and prosthesis provision in Tanzania: Patient and provider perspectives |
| title_full | Transfemoral amputation and prosthesis provision in Tanzania: Patient and provider perspectives |
| title_fullStr | Transfemoral amputation and prosthesis provision in Tanzania: Patient and provider perspectives |
| title_full_unstemmed | Transfemoral amputation and prosthesis provision in Tanzania: Patient and provider perspectives |
| title_short | Transfemoral amputation and prosthesis provision in Tanzania: Patient and provider perspectives |
| title_sort | transfemoral amputation and prosthesis provision in tanzania patient and provider perspectives |
| topic | transfemoral amputation low-resource setting prosthetic rehabilitation barriers qualitative thematic analysis caregiver tanzania. |
| url | https://ajod.org/index.php/ajod/article/view/1084 |
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