Re: Orthotics- No current studies

Re: Orthotics- No current studies

Tony Barr

11/20/2005

The below post, states there are literally NO ON GOING STUDIES IN THE FIELD
OF ORTHOTICS .

This is a prime example of why NCOPE, ABC/BOC not only fails to provide
proper oversight and accountability to its certifees, but also is grossly
negligent to provide meaningful studies as continuing education credits to
advance the current knowledge to the field of O&P.

We have had only 4,now 5 colleges providing O&P courses for approx 8,000
certified O&P practitioners in a country that requires providers in only 10
states of 50 to have ANY mandatory formal education and forty states where
even a mere certification is optional to practice. My guess, less than 1/3
of today's certifess had any formal college education in O&P.

The newest school addition is St.Petersberg College of O&P and is accepting
24 students a year to begin the Orthotics and Prosthetic Bachelor Of Applied
Science program each term. The partnership has come together to establish a
new Orthotics and prosthetic school, along with an Academy Learning Center,
at St. Petersburg College, St. Petersburg, Florida.

The new O&P school will offer a baccalaureate program, post graduate
certificate programs, and an associate degree program for technicians.
Online and videoconferencing courses are also in the plans.

The new school--which fills a void in O&P educational opportunities in
Florida and the rest of the Southeast region--is the culmination of a vision
shared by the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetist (AAOP), the
Florida Chapter of the AAOP, The Florida Association of Orthotists and
Prosthetists (FAOP) and St. Petersburg College.
 
The school will follow the guidelines of the National Commission on
Prosthetic & Orthotic Education (NCOPE).

Perhaps NCOPE and ABC/BOC should consider supporting and providing to all
currently certified practitioners, continuing education credits at the 5 O&P
schools which could effectivley provide current and ongoing studies of O&P
.

In my mind, this would be much more effective than depending on the more
marketing driven manufactures sponsored courses and the like held at
various annual trade and professional annual meetings in order to qualify
for the mandatory continuing educational credit requirement..

Tony Barr

-----Original Message-----
From: Orthotics and Prosthetics List [mailto:<Email Address Redacted>] On
Behalf Of M. Britt Spears CPO

Sent: Thursday, November 17, 2005 3:25 PM
To: <Email Address Redacted>
Subject: [OANDP-L] Orthotics- No current studies

  Hi List,

  I just attended the 2 day conference in Chicago to help attain my fellow.
During this conference, it was brought to our attention that there are
literally no on going studies in the field of Orthotics. Of the 65,000 case
studies published that have been made from the beginning of time to today,
only 45 have covered the Stroke patient and usage of AFO's. Of that amount,
if my memory holds correct, only 4 even compared articulating ankle AFO's to
solid ankle AFO's. It's no wonder that there is a 5 year rule involving the
replacement of an AFO. We have no documentation to support anything that we
can hand to CMS. Why would they change or even relax any rules if we can't
even show a study of lets say: how long an AFO lasts on a CVA patient? We
cannot even justify to them the need for a articulated ankle according to
what I witnessed.

  Just food for thought.
  M. Britt Spears CPO