Digital Profile: Abilities in Motion

Each practice operates differently when it comes to processes, tools and patient care. After hundreds of calls we’ve discussed the digital workflow with practitioners all over the world and each one is like a snowflake – unique with almost no two practices using the same stack of technology and tools.

As the digital workflow becomes more widely adopted in O&P, it’s imperative to publish the profiles of those currently using digital tools so the industry can understand the “how” “why” and “what” at the practitioner and practice level.

Today we’re honored and excited to share the digital profile of Abilities in Motion, located in Cincinnati, OH, to give O&P professionals a look ‘under the hood’ of a high-functioning digital clinic! Read below for insight given by Leo Haenni, Engineer at Abilities in Motion.

How are you currently using scanning in your practice (how often, for which devices, etc)?

We are currently scanning all of our new BKA patients for their Immediate Post Operative Prostheses (IPOPs), and almost all of our below knee sockets. We are working on using the scanner with our AK patients as well, but we haven't fully refined that process yet.

What tools are you using for scanning, modification and fabrication? Are you outsourcing fabrication? Where are you outsourcing to?

We are scanning with the practitioner's iPhone, and touching up the scans with Meshmixer before modifying them. We use Ohio Willow Wood's OMEGA software for our modifications, and then export that shape and 3D print it on one of our two in-house 3D printers. We are able to do most of our shapes this way, keeping the process 100% in-house, which is great.

How did you decide to make the move to digital? What was your decision process like?

Our decision to move to digital was driven mainly by the desire to move our fabrication in house, but we were also interested in how to better capture the unique shapes of all of our patients. Prior to scanning, we captured shapes with plaster of paris casts and digitized them using an old socket limb digitizer, so we were never fully confident we were getting an accurate shape. We actually started our move to digital with 3D printing, and the modeling software we used for that revealed that our old methods were not really providing us with accurate, reproducible shapes. We turned to scanning, and the Comb system was the perfect combination of ease-of-use, accuracy, and versatility, so we went all in on digital.

Where is the value for you in digital? Is it costs, time savings etc?

The value in digital for us is threefold: better accuracy when capturing the unique shapes of our patient, significant time savings in the clinic compared to our previous plaster cast method and the ability to capture shapes outside of the office, and reducing costs on the front end by eliminating the materials for casting and on the backend with our ability to fabricate 95% of our sockets using our in-house 3D printers.

Do you believe that the digital workflow will be more widely used in O&P over the next few years? If so, why?

I have no doubt that the use of digital workflows will continue to grow in O&P over the next few years. The technology has become more available and much more accessible for practitioners. Add that convenience to the versatility and potential savings in time and cost, and I think digital workflows will soon become the norm in O&P.

What advice would you give to the thousands of practitioners around the world exploring digital for the first time?

The best advice is to take the leap and really give digital workflow a chance. It can be a big change, but I think most O&P providers will find that it will enable them to do much more than they initially anticipate. Since we have transitioned to digital, we have been able to try new things and develop new and better ways to serve our patients that we couldn't even consider before we made the switch. Also, we've found that help and advice are abundant throughout the community, so there are answers readily available for any questions practitioners may have along the way.

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