March 2006 • Vol. 2, No. 1
	Advancing Orthotic and Prosthetic Care Through Knowledge

PROJECT QUANTUM LEAP: Grant Update

Building a Foundation for the Future

The Academy will once again host local high school students at its 32nd Annual Meeting and Scientific Symposium in Chicago, March 1–4, 2006. As part of the Academy's national recruitment and awareness campaign, Michael Brncick, MEd, CPO, the Administrative Director of Northwestern University Prosthetic–Orthotic Center, will address local high school students and discuss careers and schooling in O&P on Friday, March 3. Afterwards, the teens will be paired with O&P students for a tour of the exhibit hall to see the O&P technologies firsthand. Northwestern will also host interested students for a tour of the university campus.

Practitioner to Patient Ratio - How Does Your State Measure Up?

John Michael, MEd, CPO, FAAOP, will review the results of a preliminary study that cross-referenced ABC-certified practitioners against Medicare beneficiaries having common O&P diagnoses. The study's purpose was to investigate whether specific states are adequately served or underrepresented. This analysis was undertaken as part of the Academy's first year grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Setting Guidelines for State-of-the-Science Conferences (SSCs)

As part of Grant Year III's Master Agenda project, the Academy convened a meeting in Seattle, WA, on January 20. The team of Subject Matter Experts was led by Brian Hafner, PhD, of Prosthetics Research Study and a member of the Academy's Research Council Grants Committee. The team developed standards and guidelines for performing a literature review and ranking the evidence in preparation for future SSCs.

Visit the PQL Master Agenda page to see the latest outcomes of the grant work to establish clear guidelines for conducting SSCs.

SSCs and PCEs

Planning for the seventh in the series of SSCs, to be completed in 2006, is currently under way. The SSCs are fully underwritten by an Academy grant from the U.S. Department of Education, which also covers the development of a PCE online course from the SSC findings. Currently, there are four PCE courses based on SSC findings available through the Paul E. Leimkuehler Online Learning Center. The fifth PCE course on Prosthetic Foot/Ankle Mechanisms, currently under development by the Georgia Institute of Technology, is expected to be completed by the Spring of 2006.

More Medical Charts Available Soon!

Last year, the Academy partnered with Netter, a leading medical illustrator company, to produce a series of medical charts that focused on three key conditions commonly treated by orthotists and prosthetists: deformational plagiocephaly, diabetic foot and scoliosis. These one-of-a-kind, three-dimensional illustrations outline each phase with a visual and a detailed description. The charts will help practitioners better explain specific conditions to patients and doctors alike.

Experts from each specialty were consulted along with world-renowned medical illustrators to produce charts with incomparable accuracy, clarity and detail. Each chart is based on materials reviewed during the Academy's State-of-the-Science Conferences.

Academy members should look forward to receiving complimentary copies of the new set of Netter posters made possible by the grant through the U.S. Department of Education. The new posters focus on Postoperative Care After Lower Limb Amputation and Prosthetic Foot/Ankle Mechanisms.

A limited quantity will be made available for sale through the Academy's Bookstore, (301) 617-7805.