Traditionally, under a biomedical model of health, a mechanical device such as an orthotic may have been prescribed with the proviso of ‘this is the treatment, you either use it or you choose not to comply and do not’.

Hopefully the above scenario is happening less and less. We now have a much better understanding of biopsychosocial factors influencing patients and treatment outcomes. We know how important it is to encourage the patient to be complicit in their own healthcare. Placing a patient’s values and cares at the centre of our treatment plan is crucial for successful outcomes.

This is why it is so important to understand and consider common reasons for orthoses non-compliance and how we can improve this. Studies place non-compliance rates anywhere between 6 and 80%. The most commonly reported reasons for non-compliance are around fit, comfort and cosmetically unacceptable footwear changes.

Needless to say, no matter how well designed and manufactured an orthotic is, if a patient is non-compliant with its use it will not work.

Due to the ability to fully customise your 3D Printed Orthotics this enable us to remove these roadblocks to compliance and improve adherence.

See under ‘Fully Bespoke Orthotics’ and ‘Evidence-Based Design’ for more information on how changing the geometry and material properties of your device can benefit your practice. However, by having complete control over geometry and material properties we can manufacture orthoses which fit in to typically hard to fit footwear, such as football boots, dress shoes and shoes with low volume toe boxes.

The third and final customisable feature is the visual properties of orthoses. We can manufacture your orthotic shells and top covers in a variety of colours and patterns. This may seem trivial to the prescriber however, there have been studies which have shown orthotics made in a person’s favourite colour or nationally lucky colour (e.g., red in China) have more favourable outcomes. Now we would not suggest basing your entire treatment plan on this but every little can help.

Other commonly reported non-compliance issues are the lack of immediate results and unrealistic patient expectations. To assist you with this we offer a range of high quality, patient friendly information leaflets on topics such as how orthoses deliver a therapeutic effect, activity in relation to rehabilitation and information on intrinsic, extrinsic and modifiable risk factors, etc.

There is a growing body of evidence highlighting the importance of professionalism and a competent appearance being a key tenant specific to successfully prescribing orthotics. We feel our orthotics provide a sleek, modern and professional design which will be pleasing to the patient. This professionalism is continued through the quality of our information leaflets and the packaging our orthoses are supplied in.

Finally, we can manufacture your orthotic with your practice name, logo and/or patient name within the shell design which is a small touch often appreciated by patients.

We want to help you be as successful in your prescribing as possible and will continue to endeavour to do this in an evidence-informed way. We hope this patient centred approach to care sets us apart from other orthotic suppliers and demonstrates our passion for helping you care for your patients.