Care Priorities for Individuals with Lower Extremity Amputations: A Patient Delphi Study.

Abstract

Objective: To gather preliminary evidence on short- and long-term care priorities for people with lower extremity amputations.

Design: A three-round modified Delphi study using semi-structured interviews.

Participants: A convenience sample of 20 adult participants who had undergone lower extremity amputations at a tertiary public hospital.

Main measure: Consensus on each care priority was defined a priori as an agreement of more than 50%. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to understand the rationales for endorsing the care priorities.

Results: Consensus was reached on 24 short-term care priorities and 12 long-term care priorities in the biomedical, practical and psychological and spiritual domains. The rationales for endorsing each of the care priorities generated three themes: preparedness; mental health, psychological and spiritual well-being; and participating in life, with respect and dignity.

Conclusions: Our results highlight the substantial need to improve patient access to education and planning support prior to undergoing limb amputation, and optimising post-amputation rehabilitation programmes, enabling people with amputations to participate in meaningful life roles that provide them with purpose, dignity, and self-respect. The knowledge of care priorities revealed in this study may promote effective patient-centred care and improve clinical outcomes.