Ethical Considerations in Prosthetics and Orthotics

This chapter introduces the field of advanced technology within the orthotics and prosthetics profession, a healthcare profession that combines technology and engineering science with medical and health science to produce medical devices (orthoses and prostheses) to treat medical conditions that cause physical dysfunction. The chapter sets the background to the ethical dilemmas that are encountered within the field, which technologically advanced devices cause such dilemmas and why, and then discusses the ethical dilemmas as encountered by the three stakeholders within the profession, namely the manufacturers/innovators, the prosthetic and orthotic practitioners, and the users of the devices themselves, the patients. In conclusion, the chapter looks at some solutions and recommendations to overcome or at least reduce these dilemmas.