Linking scientific and clinical knowledge practices: Innovation for prosthetic rehabilitation

Research into rehabilitation programmes has expanded enormously the past few decades. However application of scientific knowledge into clinical practice still has modest success. Researchers assume that there is a lack of scientific attitude in rehabilitation practice. Rehabilitation professionals, at their turn, believe that research questions are not attuned to their experienced problems. This thesis illustrates by way of a case-study how this division can be prevented with a careful chosen mix of research methodologies, conceptual analytical, and change management skills.
The study starts with a request from a prosthetic rehabilitation team: “How to prevent a decline in functioning with a prosthesis at home, after discharge from prosthetic rehabilitation?” Self-management and motor learning theories from rehabilitation programmes for, respectively, patients with chronic diseases or neurological conditions, appeared to be valuable sources of inspiration. But how to translate these theories into practical instructions for professionals, who want to stimulate active participation of patients?
A comparative content analysis of literature on self-management education and physical rehabilitation medicine gave insight into how self-management can get a considered place in prosthetic rehabilitation. A combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods confirmed the decline in functioning and exposed why patients declined. With help of the knowledge-to-action-cyclus the gathered knowledge was integrated into a self-management training, comprising a motor skill and psycho-educational training. The co creation between the research team, professionals and patients led to a shared ownership and manual of the self-management training, which is now part of daily practice of the local prosthetic rehabilitation team.