Investigation of satisfaction with orthoses and its relationship to duration of use in individuals with different orthotic devices

Dissatisfaction with orthosis use may lead to discontinuation and prevent treatment from being fully effective. This study aimed to investigate user satisfaction levels with orthoses used on various body parts and to determine their relationship with the duration of orthosis use. Seventy-eight orthotic users with a mean age of 12.45 ± 10.1 years participated in this observational study. Satisfaction was assessed using the Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology (QUEST 2.0) questionnaire, which includes subsections for device satisfaction, service satisfaction, and a total score, and the Satisfaction Evaluation Survey (SES). The QUEST results indicated a mean device satisfaction score of 4.20 ± 0.75, service satisfaction of 4.38 ± 0.77, and a total score of 4.26 ± 0.73, while the SES score averaged 13.95 ± 5.48. No significant differences were observed in satisfaction levels between lower extremity and trunk orthosis users (p>.05), or between ankle-foot orthosis and scoliosis brace users (p>.05). A weak positive correlation was found between daily orthotic use and QUEST subsections for device satisfaction (r=.364, p=.001), service satisfaction (r=.281, p=.014), and total score (r=.385, p=.001), while a weak negative correlation was noted with SES scores (r=-.306, p=.007). Overall, participants reported high satisfaction with their orthoses, regardless of the body part supported, with a weak correlation observed between daily wearing time and satisfaction levels.