New Global P&O Position Paper from ERN
A new position paper from the Exceed Research Network provides a state-of-the-art overview of prosthetics and orthotics service provision, with particular focus on resource-constrained settings, drawing on interdisciplinary evidence and expert insight to describe strengths, gaps and priorities for change.
‘The Provision of Global Prosthetics and Orthotics Services: A Position Paper on Systems, Context, and Pathways for Shaping Collaborative Progress’, written by Professor Nachi Chockalingam with support from other ERN members, will be published in the Journal of Prosthetics and Orthotics (JPO) and is available here.
The paper reviews six domains: education and training, service provision, advances in technology and their global reach, international initiatives and organizations, the case for interdisciplinary collaboration and the influence of local context, culture, and national systems. Across these domains, it highlights how inequalities arise from the interaction of clinical capacity, financing, policy and trade.
Examples from a number of countries illustrate how digital tools, mixed methods research and locally led innovation can inform more responsive services, but also how externally driven models can undermine sustainability when they are not aligned with local systems. The role of collaborative research networks in generating shared evidence and guidance is emphasized and the paper concludes with recommendations to strengthen prosthetics and orthotics by investing in contextual education, sustainable service models, appropriate technology pathways, regulatory and trade reforms and support for interdisciplinary and user-engaged research.
It argues that coordinated, evidence-informed and culturally responsive action is needed if ambitions for equitable access to prosthetic and orthotic care are to be realized and identifies practical priorities for improving prosthetic and orthotic services, including workforce development, sustainable service delivery, context-appropriate technology adoption and stronger system coordination. These insights are directly relevant to clinicians, educators and service leaders working to improve equitable access and long-term outcomes in diverse practice settings.