Prosthetic Reconstruction, Rehabilitation & Surgical Planning —
Training activity: 8

Details

Lead an assessment for a patient referred for a custom ocular prosthesis. Discuss individual patient requirements and prosthetic rehabilitation

Plan, design and manufacture the final prosthesis and provide aftercare support

Type

Developmental training activity (DTA)

Evidence requirements

Evidence the activity has been undertaken by the trainee​.

Reflection on the activity at one or more time points after the event including learning from the activity and/or areas of the trainees practice for development.

An action plan to implement learning and/or to address skills or knowledge gaps identified.

Reflective practice guidance

The guidance below is provided to support reflection at different time points, providing you with questions to aid you to reflect for this training activity. They are provided for guidance and should not be considered as a mandatory checklist. Trainees should not be expected to provide answers to each of the guidance questions listed.

Before action

• What are the key aspects of assessing a patient for an ocular prosthesis?
• What are the essential elements of aftercare?
• What will you learn about leading a patient assessment and discussing sensitive issues related to an ocular prosthesis?
• What design and manufacturing techniques are specific to ocular prostheses, including colour matching and movement?
• What impression materials are used in the manufacture of ocular prostheses
• What are the important aspects of patient education and aftercare for ocular prostheses?
• Have you reviewed the normal and abnormal anatomy of the eye and orbit and the considerations for ocular prosthetics?
• Have you observed patient assessments and prosthesis fittings?
• Have you researched different manufacturing techniques and materials used for ocular prostheses?

In action

• As you lead the assessment, discuss requirements, plan, design, and manufacture the ocular prosthesis, and consider aftercare, are you consciously focusing on the patient’s unique needs and expectations? What immediate decisions are you making regarding impression techniques, material selection, and aesthetic considerations? During discussions with the patient, are you actively listening and adapting your approach based on their responses?
• Is your assessment effectively capturing the necessary information for a successful prosthetic outcome? Are you encountering any challenges in the design or manufacturing stages to achieve a natural-looking and comfortable prosthesis? What immediate learning is occurring as you interact with the patient and address their specific requirements? How does this activity relate to your understanding of ocular anatomy, prosthetic materials, and patient communication?
• If the patient expresses concerns about the proposed design or has specific aesthetic preferences that deviate from standard approaches, what alternative design features or manufacturing techniques are you considering in real-time? Do you need to seek advice on specialized techniques for ocular prosthesis fabrication or patient management? Are you ensuring that your communication and clinical decisions are patient-centred and within ethical guidelines?

On action

• Describe the process of leading the patient assessment and discussing their requirements and expectations for the ocular prosthesis. What were the key individual requirements identified during the assessment? Describe the planning, design, and manufacturing process of the final ocular prosthesis. What information and support did you provide regarding aftercare? How did the patient respond?
• What specific skills or knowledge did you develop or improve in patient assessment for ocular prosthetics, prosthesis design and manufacture, and aftercare provision? What did you learn about the technical and aesthetic considerations for custom ocular prostheses? Were there any unexpected challenges or successes during the assessment, manufacture, or aftercare stages? What did you learn from these? How did the patient’s individual requirements directly influence the design and manufacture of the prosthesis?
• What areas for continued development have you identified in ocular prosthetics, including patient interaction and technical aspects? How can you apply the knowledge and skills gained to future cases requiring ocular prostheses? What resources or support might you need to further develop in this area?

Beyond action

• Have you revisited experiences with custom ocular prostheses? How has your understanding of the aesthetic, functional, and psychological aspects of this type of prosthesis developed?
• How have these experiences impacted upon your current practice in facial prosthetics and patient communication? Are you more skilled in discussing sensitive issues and providing aftercare?
• How might these experiences contribute towards your future practice in more complex orbital reconstructions or the development of novel ocular prosthetic solutions? What did you learn about impression techniques and material selection?

Relevant learning outcomes

#	Outcome
# 1	Outcome Deliver quality patient centred care with the best interests of patients in all elements of practice.
# 2	Outcome Practice in accordance with local and national health and safety policies, regulatory requirements and overall service governance.
# 3	Outcome Communicate effectively with patients, relatives, healthcare professionals and other stakeholders.
# 4	Outcome Identify patients who need further specialist support and refer to the appropriate healthcare specialist.
# 5	Outcome Analyse and interpret patient investigations, multimodal imaging and information.
# 6	Outcome Perform clinical investigations, formulate treatment plans and manufacture medical devices to a safe clinical standard.
# 8	Outcome Select appropriate biomedical materials and components/instrumentation used in the treatment of patients and the manufacture of custom-made medical devices.
# 9	Outcome Practice in partnership with other clinical specialisms as part of a multidisciplinary team and understand their roles and their impact on patient care and pathway.
# 10	Outcome Apply the principals of a quality management system to their professional practice.
# 12	Outcome Assess and interpret patients’ needs to provide customised treatment dependent on medical, physical, social and psychological requirements.