AOTA member spotlight: Lauren Trent, MOT, OTR/L

Lauren Trent, MOT, OTR/L, is the Senior Manager of Therapeutic Services and Research & Development at Arm Dynamics. She spoke to Jamar Haggans, MS, OTR/L, Director of Quality at AOTA, about her current position and how she became interested in quality.

Jamar Haggans: How did you become interested in quality?

Lauren Trent: Seven years ago, I came to Arm Dynamics and began working with clients who experienced upper limb amputations. At that time, there were very few functional outcome measures specific to this unique population, and our clinical team began working to change that. I became more interested in quality because I wanted to create ways to measure how my plan of care and interventions were affecting each client.

Jamar Haggans: What is your current position?

Lauren Trent: I am the Senior Manager of Therapeutic Services and Research & Development at Arm Dynamics. We have five prosthetic clinics nationwide, specializing in upper limb prosthetic rehabilitation. Each clinic has a therapist (four occupational therapists and one physical therapist in total), and we are involved in all aspects of upper limb prosthetic rehabilitation, including training and incorporating clients’ prostheses into their daily activities. Our services can include pain, wound, and edema management, desensitization, patient education, and prosthesis integration into ADLs and IADLs at work, at home, and in leisure activities.

We are here to help each client through the life of their prosthesis. If they get a new job, a new hobby, or have any significant changes, we address and re-address their ability to engage in purposeful everyday activities.

I also manage our research initiatives. We do ongoing internal research for outcome measures that we have developed for this population. We also work with other entities, such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Department of Defense (DOD), and prosthetic manufacturers, to improve the quality of componentry and appropriate outcome measures for clients with limb loss and limb differences.

Jamar Haggans: How are you involved in assessing the quality of therapy services at your organization?

Lauren Trent: We have monthly meetings both as a therapy group and as a clinical group (including therapists and prosthetists) in which we discuss innovation to our process, clinical questions or case studies, and share feedback on clinical situations. We also have quarterly journal clubs to keep us informed about new literature and studies involving our population to improve the services we provide to our clients.

Jamar Haggans: How do you utilize outcome measures to guide care?

Lauren Trent: We have created three population-specific outcome measures. One is a psychological screening tool that examines psychological well-being, resiliency, anxiety, depression, PTA (post-traumatic anxiety), and coping mechanisms. We also have created and validated a patient report measure that looks at client satisfaction, pain, and perceived function with the prosthesis. The third measure is a functional outcome measure in which we record clients performing functional tasks and then review the video to assess their prosthetic control, body mechanics, and other aspects regarding using their prosthesis.

These measures are used throughout the plan of care, during all stages of fitting, and 6 to 12 months after treatment. The measures show us where to adjust, continue training, or make corrections in their therapy plan of care and the prosthesis.

Jamar Haggans: What advice do you have for practitioners interested in learning more about quality or using outcome measures?

Lauren Trent: Review the literature and be aware of new research and developed outcome measures available for your client population. Our journal club is invaluable because it helps identify available evidence, resources, and possible innovations. This is essential to continuously providing high-value services that lead to positive clinical outcomes. If you have someone at your organization who leads quality initiatives, learn where your organization stands and how you can work to improve the standard of care.

Networking with others can also be extremely helpful. You can learn much from others that will influence your thinking and practice. Don’t be afraid to reach out to others in or outside your network.