February 2008 • Vol. 4, No. 1
	Advancing Orthotic and Prosthetic Care Through Knowledge

The Academy Advances the O&P Profession with Assistance from its U.S. Department of Education Grant

   At the 2008 Academy Annual Meeting, February 27 to March 1, 2008, in Orlando, Florida,
   attendees will enjoy programming that is helping to improve the quality of patient care,
   advance O&P research, and ensure that consumers will have access to sufficient, well-
   qualified professionals to meet the growing demand for O&P services.

AWARENESS

High School Awareness Program
Friday, February 29: 9–11:30 a.m.

The Academy is working to increase awareness of and interest in O&P careers by reaching out to high school students in the Orlando area. Students will be invited to an interactive session on O&P technology and careers and will then be paired with current students from O&P education programs for a guided tour of the Exhibit Hall.

You can show your support of the Academy's outreach efforts by stopping by the Academy's bookstore to add your name to our career website (www.opcareers.org) as a point of contact for those interested in entering the profession.

If you haven't visited our career site recently, be sure to explore the "Career Information" section and look at the latest career materials that can assist you with outreach in your local area. Our video and public service announcements (PSAs) are great resources to share with the media, while the handouts are excellent for teachers, counselors, students, and parents.

STATE-OF-THE-SCIENCE CONFERENCE

Evidence Reports: Findings from the SSC on Biomechanics of Ambulation after Partial Foot Amputation (IC4)
Saturday, March 1: 7–8:30 a.m.

State-of-the-Science Conferences (SSC) are developed around an "Evidence Report"—a systematic review of the literature on a particular topic. This session will discuss how an Evidence Report is created and how the best-available evidence is collected, summarized, and interpreted by the Evidence Report authors. The Evidence Report from the recent Academy SSC, "Biomechanics of Ambulation after Partial Foot Amputation: A Systematic Literature Review" will be used to illustrate the development methodology and the formulation of key questions addressed through these conferences.

With funding from the Department of Education grant, the Academy has created eight online professional continuing education courses based on the findings from each SSC. They are available to O&P professionals and the entire healthcare field at the Paul E. Leimkuehler Online Learning Center (www.oandp.org/olc).

MASTER AGENDA

Evidence-Based Practice: Justifying Patient Care
Saturday, March 1: Noon–4 p.m.

To thrive in today's "pay-for-performance" reimbursement environment, the vast majority of practitioners must be well-informed consumers of scientific research. Participate in this in-depth session to learn what evidence-based practice really is and how it can affect your practice.

Evidence-based practice is not just for academicians, statisticians, or researchers. It is not about learning to do research, but rather it is about learning to use research in clinical practice. This program will help clinicians to be better informed consumers of the literature in our field. This program will teach O&P professionals to objectively critique peer-reviewed articles and to identify strengths and weaknesses of research and evidence presented.