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Table 1 Answers to the SOSORT questionnaire ( http://http://www.scoliosisjournal.com/content/4/1/2/additional ) in the two treating teams considered

From: Team care to cure adolescents with braces (avoiding low quality of life, pain and bad compliance): a case–control retrospective study. 2011 SOSORT Award winner

Questionnaire

Answers of subgroups

TEAM

NOT

All professionals as a team

8/8

3/8

1. Do you work in a multiprofessional team (physician, orthotist and eventually physiotherapist), through continuous exchange of information, team meetings, and verification of braces in front of single patients?

Yes

No*

2. Do you give thorough advice and counselling to each single patient and family each time it is needed?

Yes

No*

3. Do the different professionals in your team give the same, previously agreed messages to patients and families?

Yes

No

4. Do you check each single brace in team (physician, orthotist, and possibly physiotherapist)?

Yes

No

5. Do you follow-up regularly each single brace?

Yes

Yes

6. Do you access the patient’s mood and counsel him and the family at brace delivery and at other follow-ups?

Yes

Yes

7. Do you check each single brace clinically and/or radiographically?

Yes

Yes

8. Do you check the brace and patient compliance regularly and reinforce the usefulness of brace treatment to the patient and his/her family?

Yes

No*

Medical Doctors

17/17

17/17

9. Have you been trained by a previous master (i.e. a physician with at least 5 years of experience in bracing) for at least 2 years?

Yes

Yes

10. Did you have at least 2 years of continuous practice in scoliosis bracing?

Yes

Yes

11. Have you prescribed at least 1 brace per working week (~45 per year) in the last 2 years?

Yes

Yes

12. Have you evaluated at least 4 scoliosis patients per working week (~150 per year) in the last 2 years?

Yes

Yes

13. Do you prescribe each single brace to the constructing orthothist?

Yes

Yes

14. Do you write the details of brace construction (where to push and where to leave space, how to act on the trunk to obtain results on the spine) when not already defined “a priori” with the orthotist?

Yes

Yes

15. Do you prescribe the exact number of hours of brace wearing?

Yes

Yes

16. Are you totally convinced of the brace proposed and committed to the treatment?

Yes

Yes

17. Do you use any ethical mean to increase patient compliance, including thorough explanation of the treatment, aids such as photos, brochures, video, etc.?

Yes

Yes

18. Do you verify accurately if the brace fits properly and fulfils the need of the individual patient?

Yes

Yes

19. Do you check the scoliosis correction in all the three planes (frontal, sagittal and horizontal)?

Yes

Yes

20. Do you check clinically the aesthetic correction?

Yes

Yes

21. Do you maximize brace tolerability (reduce visibility and allow movements and activity of daily life as much as possible for the used technique)?

Yes

Yes

22. Do you check the corrections applied?

Yes

Yes

23. Do you follow-up the braced patients regularly, at least every 3 to 6 months?

Yes

Yes

24. Do you reduce standard intervals according to individual needs (first brace, growth spurt, progressive or atypical curve, poor compliance, request of other team members)?

Yes

Yes

25. Do you take the responsibility to change the brace for a new one as soon as the child grows up or the brace loses efficacy?

Yes

Yes

Orthotists

14/14

14/14

26. Have you been working continuously with a master physician (i.e. a physician fulfilling to recommendation 1 criteria) for at least 2 years?

Yes

Yes

27. Did you have at least 2 years of continuous practice in scoliosis bracing?

Yes

Yes

28. Have you constructed at least 2 braces per working week (~100 per year) in the last 2 years?

Yes

Yes

29. Do you construct each single brace according to physician prescription?

Yes

Yes

30. Do you correct each single brace according to physician indications?

Yes

Yes

31. Do you check the prescription and its details and eventually discuss them with the prescribing physician, if needed, before construction?

Yes

Yes

32. Do you fully execute the agreed prescription?

Yes

Yes

33. Are you totally convinced of the brace proposed and committed to the treatment?

Yes

Yes

34. Do you use any ethical mean to increase patient compliance, including thorough explanation of the treatment, aids such as photos, brochures, video, etc.?

Yes

Yes

35. Do you maximize brace tolerability (reduce visibility and allow movements and activity of daily life as much as possible for the used technique)?

Yes

Yes

36. Do you apply all changes needed and, if necessary, even rebuild the brace without extra-charge for patients?

Yes

Yes

37. Do you suggest to change the brace for a new one as soon as the child grows up or the brace loses efficacy?

Yes

Yes

38. Do you check regularly the brace?

Yes

Yes

39. In front of any problem with the brace, do you refer to the treating physician?

Yes

Yes

Physiotherapists

5/5

1/5

40. Do you check the brace when you evaluate/treat a patient wearing a brace?

Yes

No

41. In front of any problem with the brace, do you refer to the treating physician?

Yes

No

42. In front of any problem with the brace, do you avoid to refer to the patient?

Yes

Yes

43. If you are a member of the treating team, have you been trained to face the problems of compliance, and the needs of explanation by the patient or his/her family?

Yes

No**

44. If you are not a member of the treating team, do you avoid acting autonomously?

Yes

No

TOTAL

44/44 Excellent

35/44 Sufficient

  1. Notes. * Even if the answer could theoretically be “yes,” in reality the most correct answer is “no.” In fact, even if the team exists – since all engaged professionals work in the same place under the direction of the same MD - APs do not behave as members of the team and/or do not accept involvement (e.g., it happens that they are against the brace and openly state that opinion to patients and parents). ** In this case, training has been made but not accepted by PTs, whose behavior did not change.