Hanger Inc announces the results of its second IMPACT study, which evaluates the impact of receipt of a prosthesis on overall healthcare utilization.

Emergency department use, a common proxy for healthcare utilization, was assessed in the context of timing of receipt of a lower-limb prosthesis following amputation, as well as not receiving a prosthesis. The IMPACT 2 study utilized the IBM Watson Truven Health Marketscan, a national commercial claims database, and analyzed data on 510 patients with lower limb amputations. 

Results suggest that individuals who received an early prosthesis, within 3 months following a lower limb amputation, were 48% less likely to use the emergency department compared to those who did not receive a prosthesis, which was true across all age groups.

Further, the percentage of emergency department use as a measure of overall healthcare utilization appears to have an upward trend as the time from surgery to prosthesis receipt increases. Additionally, individuals who experienced a fall had 2.8 times the odds of emergency department utilization.

The findings were published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal PM&R, the Journal of Injury, Function and Rehabilitation, a media release from Hanger Inc explains.

Underscores Health Benefits and Cost Savings 

“The IMPACT 2 study not only underscores the significance of long-term health benefits for the patient, including reduced falls and better quality of life, it also highlights the value of cost savings in healthcare utilization that comes with receipt of a prosthesis early on in the rehabilitation process.

“This is yet another illustration of the holistic benefits of early prosthetic rehabilitation.”

— James Campbell, PhD, Hanger Chief Clinical Officer

The collaborative research was conducted by the clinical and scientific affairs department of Hanger Clinic, including Shane R. Wurdeman, PhD, CP, FAAOP and Taavy A. Miller, PhD, CPO, and accompanied by researchers from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s Department of Public Health. 

The IMPACT 2 study is an extension of the initial IMPACT study, based on review of the Watson data.

[Source: Hanger Inc]


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