Content analysis of child user and carer perspectives of ankle-foot orthoses.

Background: The evaluation of ankle-foot orthoses is primarily focused on biomechanical performance, with comparatively less studies pertaining to users' quality of life and experiential factors.

Objectives: To investigate how child users regard acquisition and use of ankle-foot orthoses through the perspectives of child users, parents/carers and practitioners.

Study Design: Inductive content analysis of secondary data.

Methods: Child user and parent/carer perspectives, as communicated by them and by practitioners, were collected from online platforms and formal publications. Data and themes were analysed through an inductive approach. Investigator triangulation was used to increase trustworthiness and reduce bias.

Results: We found and analysed 223 data points from 30 informal online platforms and 15 formal publications. These data clustered into five key themes relating to user experience with ankle-foot orthoses, including materials, structure, aesthetics, service and impact. Child users had mixed opinions about ankle-foot orthoses, reporting satisfaction with the functional improvements resulting from ankle-foot orthosis wear, while noting negative feelings from the experience of acquiring and using the device.

Conclusion: This research suggests that considering the five themes in ankle-foot orthosis provision could improve the child user experience, inform future ankle-foot orthosis design, and improve clinical outcomes.