The Academy Grant: Communicating Our Accomplishments

All of the efforts of the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (the Academy) surrounding its U.S. Department of Education grant are designed to benefit the entire O&P profession. We continue to try to communicate in many different ways to keep you informed about what is happening and what is the key deliverable of each of the grant initiatives.

Awareness

The Academy is working on a number of projects to inform the public about potential careers in O&P. These include a new career-awareness video and a series of television and radio public-service announcements that will target high school students, current college students, recent college graduates, returning military veterans, and the general public.

In addition, members of the Academy's board of directors are attending each of the chapter meetings. They are presenting a session on recent Academy and grant activities and are available to answer questions and serve as a resource for the chapter members. These sessions have been very well received. Be sure to attend this session at your upcoming chapter meeting.

Strategic Planning

A meeting was held in July 2009 that encompassed several important and interrelated topics including barriers to the dissemination of results from the State-of-the-Science Conferences, barriers to evidence-based practice (EBP), international educational models for advanced O&P education, revisiting the Advanced Education Research Training Initiative Report, and mentoring and networking. A strong cross-section of clinicians and researchers, including international representatives, attended the meeting and are now working on a report that will be available to all Academy members. It will be published online and available on the Academy's website. Look for this report later this year.

Master Agenda for State-of-the-Science Conferences

As part of this project, we have expanded the available online resources of O&P clinical material by digitizing issues of Clinical Prosthetics & Orthotics (CPO) and the Newsletter: Orthotics & Prosthetics Clinic. These precursors to the Journal of Prosthetics and Orthotics (JPO) are now available on the Academy's website.

In addition, the Academy has commissioned the development of two Evidence Notes. These Evidence Notes are a unique opportunity for practitioners to gain access to the evidence on selected topics in an easy-to-read format, without having to do extensive research on their own. It is expected that the first Evidence Note, Biomechanics of Ambulation after Partial Foot Amputation and Knee-Ankle-Foot Orthoses for Ambulation, will be available this fall, and the second, The Use of KAFOs and HKAFOs in Ambulation, will be available early in 2010.

The Academy has also commissioned two Evidence Reports. These reports include extensive literature reviews and can be the basis for future state-of-the-science conferences. It is expected that the first Evidence Report, Residual Limb Fluid Volume Control, will be completed this fall, and the second, The Effect of Ankle-Foot Orthoses on Balance, will be completed early in 2010.

Because of the positive response we received to the Academy's certificate program titled Evidence-Based Practice: Justifying Patient Care, this one-day course has already been presented at three of the Academy's chapter meetings and will be presented at a fourth in October:

Northwest Chapter, April 30.May 2, 2009.
Midwest Chapter, June 12.13, 2009.
Northern Plains Chapter, September 11, 2009.
New England Chapter, October 14.16, 2009.

This session covers the foundation for EBP, the scientific method, research-question formation, discerning printed information, literature searches, reading and evaluating an article, understanding statistics, and practical applications for EBP for securing medical necessity and appropriate reimbursements. This program has received great reviews from attendees at chapter meetings.

State-of-the-Science Conferences

A State-of-the-Science Conference (SSC) on Upper-Limb Prosthetic Outcome Measures was held in March 2009. There were 14 subject-matter experts who attended this conference. The proceedings from the conference will be published and distributed to all Academy members this fall. The Academy is also working to develop an online continuing education course based on the findings of this SSC. This course is expected to be completed this fall and will be a part of the Academy's Paul E. Leimkuehler Online Learning Center (OLC).

Professional Continuing Education Courses

The Academy recently developed two new certificate programs as part of its grant efforts. The first, Designing Single-Subject Research Studies in O&P, was presented in October 2008. The second, Orthotic Management of Scoliosis and Kyphosis, will be presented as a one-day seminar on Friday, October 9, 2009. In addition, this program will likely be a part of the March 2010 Academy Annual Meeting and Scientific Symposium in Chicago, Illinois.

Entry-Level Education

The Academy participated with the National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education (NCOPE) to develop training materials for existing and potential residency sites. These materials will be designed to prepare the residency site and its staff to implement a residency program, to develop the structure and learning environment for an effective residency program and experience, and to gain the knowledge and skills to assess and enhance an effective residency program. This online resource will be available later this year.

Working Hard on Your Behalf

As with all of our projects, it is our goal to keep you informed about what we are doing on your behalf. If you have any questions about any of these projects, contact Kimber Nation, the Academy grant administrator and council coordinator, at 202.380.3663; e-mail: