title: Impact of limb loss in the United States.
abstract: The amputee gets lost in the American health care system because of fragmentation across the continuum. The journey of the diabetic patient with limb loss through the health care system is even more precarious than that of the traumatic amputee. Interventions to address these secondary conditions and improve the health and outcomes of persons with disability have focused on standard medical treatments, such as medication or physical rehabilitation therapies, often to the exclusion of psychosocial interventions. Each member of the amputee rehabilitation team plays a specific and important role in the care and recovery of the person with limb loss.
authors.affiliation: Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital of Maryland, 9909 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD 20850, USA; Amputee Coalition of America, 9303 Center Street, Suite 100, Manassas, VA 20110, USA. Electronic address: TSheehan@ahm.com.
authors.forename: Terrence Patrick
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Sheehan
authors.forename: George C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Gondo
mesh_terms: D000671:Amputation, Surgical / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000673:Amputation, Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D001186:Artificial Limbs; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D017719:Diabetic Foot / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage; D007348:Insurance, Health; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D010348:Patient Care Team; D018802:Patient-Centered Care; D058729:Peripheral Arterial Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Amputees; Limb loss; Prosthetics; US health care system