Perceptions of prosthetic attention among lower limb prosthesis users: a focus group study.

Use of a lower limb prosthesis generally requires increased cognitive effort to compensate for missing motor and sensory inputs. This study sought to examine how lower limb prosthesis users perceive paying attention to their prosthesis(es) in daily life. Focus groups with lower limb prosthesis users were conducted virtually using semi-structured questions. Verbatim transcripts were excerpted, coded, and reconciled. Inductive thematic analysis was undertaken to identify experiences shared by participants. Five themes emerged from five focus groups conducted with thirty individuals: Prosthetic attention, including both background and foreground attention, is a shared experience among lower limb prosthesis users. The amount and frequency of prosthetic attention fluctuates throughout the day and changes over time. Measuring attention could inform the evaluation and prescription of technology intended to reduce cognitive effort. Walking or performing mobility tasks with a prosthesis requires increased attention and may limit the cognitive resources available for other important activities.Lower limb prosthesis users report paying attention to their prosthesis(ses) to avoid falling, to maintain the fit of their prosthetic socket, and to learn to complete mobility tasks with a prosthesis.Clinicians should discuss prosthetic attention with new prosthesis users and explain how it is expected to decrease over time.Prosthetic technology may affect prosthetic attention but development of a measure to assess prosthetic attention is needed to accurately evaluate this relationship.