In August 2016, with USAID funding, COPE organized a training for 21 Prosthetists/Orthotists and Bench Technicians from the Government of Lao Ministry. Many patients interviewed during Quality Clinical Audits and CMR-COPE Mobile Clinics explained that they no longer use their upper-limb prostheses when the device does not respond to their particular functional needs. The aim of the training was to improve the clinical reasoning and listening skills of prosthetists/orthotists and bench technicians, and to introduce them to technical skills to produce better functional upper-limb prostheses and tools.

Functional tools produced during the training, following active conversations between patients and rehabilitation staff. Notice the tool on the left hand side: this was made to enable one patient to continue to train to throw the ball through the basketball hoop!

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