The prosthetist usually becomes involved about the time everyone has a thousand questions and two thousand wrong answers. The first visit with a prosthetist may be in the hospital, the doctor s office, or in the prosthetic facility. It is important for the patient, the patient s family and the prosthetist to understand The Goal of the process from the start. That Goal is to convert the patient into an informed customer. Think about that for a minute.
Most patients are uninformed people with medical needs.
They go where and do what anyone says generally not liking where they are nor what is being done to them. Such patients then come into the prosthetic facility to meet one more medical person who will do some unreasonable thing to them without an explanation. It is most important that the first meeting with the prosthetist be informative. Information from both sides is important. The practitioner must convey competence, knowledge, understanding and patience.