ATLANTIC CITY, NJ — The limbWISE mobile app, created by students at the University of Hartford, was an effective decision making tool for patients with lower-limb prostheses, and offered increased efficiency and usability compared to paper-based decision trees, according to student researchers Sarah Martinez and Emily Rock.
Speaking at the New Jersey Chapter of the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists Annual Meeting, Martinez and Rock, both students at the University of Hartford, said patients with lower-limb prostheses can use the limbWISE app as problems arise with suspension or sockets. According to the researchers, the app uses 14 decision trees within its design. Patients answer simple, yes-or-no questions and arrive at solutions ranging from adding another sock to calling their prosthetist for assistance.
“In our very technological world we live in today, everyone has their phone in their hand,” Rock said. “So, this is just another tool so that the prosthetic wearer can gain knowledge on how to solve the little problems that arise, instead of having them go into the clinic and talking to the prosthetist, saving them both time.”
