Shared Decision-Making in O&P: How to Incorporate Patient Preference

The goal of this session is to share multiple ongoing efforts to expand shared decision-making in the O&P field. As we push towards value-based care, involving the patient’s priorities and preferences will be paramount to ensuring we are delivering an improved outcome to our patients. Attendees will take away useful skills of how to start implementing shared decision-making into their practice, current tools that are in development and will be available to clinicians soon, and how AI is being used to make this process easier during clinical encounters.

This course is worth 1.75 scientific credits. If you attended this session at the 2025 National Assembly, please note you will not receive credit again.

Bretta Fylstra, PhD

Research Scientist

Hanger Institute for Clinical Research and Education

Bretta is a Research Scientist within Hanger's Institute for Clinical Research and Education. She has a PhD in Biomedical Engineering with a history working with powered robotic lower-limb prostheses. As a Research Scientist with Hanger, Bretta is working towards improving access to O&P technology, driving forward value-based care, and expanding evidence-based practice for the greater O&P field.

Emily Steffensen, PhD, CPO

Clinician-Scientist

Hanger Clinic & Hanger Institute for Clinical Research & Education

Emily is an ABC-certified prosthetist/orthotist and biomechanist working both as a clinician and research scientist with Hanger Clinic and Clinical & Scientific Affairs. Her clinic location is within Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska, and she enjoys working alongside the rehabilitation team treating a variety of patient populations. Her research interests include orthotic and prosthetic interventions, gait biomechanics, and rehabilitation of injuries and disorders that affect mobility. Her past research has largely been in post-stroke gait rehabilitation, and currently uses her clinical and research skills to conduct patient-centered research in O&P.