Abstract
Dear readers,
From 4 to 7 February 2013, International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO) will hold its 14th World Congress in Hyderabad, India.
The hosting of the first ISPO World Congress in India is greatly significant not only for ISPO but also for companies, professionals and patients in the region and worldwide.
The ISPO World Congress is a unique interactive forum where orthotists, prosthetists, physiatrists, orthopaedic surgeons, physical and occupational therapists, rehab engineers, caregivers, clinical psychologists, orthopaedic shoe technicians, social institutions and others involved in taking care of patients in need of a prosthesis or an orthosis, come together to learn about scientific and clinical advances, latest products, innovative technologies and newer designs and materials in prosthetic and orthotic care.
The interdisciplinary programme featuring symposia, instructional courses, manufacturers’ workshops and poster sessions will offer prosthetist and orthotist (P&O) professionals a unique opportunity for professional development through discussion and exchange among teachers, clinicians, researchers, technicians, manufacturers, doctors and therapists.
Furthermore, the tradeshow held in parallel will provide a spectacular platform for equipment manufacturers from the region and worldwide to showcase their products, to exchange, network and connect with their customers. Educational institutions, systems and service providers, rehabilitation centres, financial institutions and so on will also get an opportunity to promote their work to an international audience as well as to learn, share, initiate new projects and build partnerships.
A joint effort
The constant search for quality that drives so many of the activities undertaken by ISPO, especially as it relates to its education programmes (ISPO training programme evaluation and recognition, etc.), has driven the work of the excellent scientific committee, who, thanks to the hard work and great leadership of Dr Ashok Johari and Dr Harmen van der Linde, was able to put together an incredible scientific programme. This would not have been possible without the support of a local team from the Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics India should be Professional Conference Organiser KW Conferences, especially Sumitro Sarka, who, together with Dr Johari and van der Linde, proved instrumental in defining and sticking to a quality action plan, including milestones and deadlines.
The excellent local Professional Congress Organizer (KWC) worked very hard to accommodate the variety and scope of session formats that characterizes our World Congress: 46 sessions will be held (we have received more proposals for free papers than ever before) alongside 4 keynote speeches, and more than 20 Instructional Courses and Symposia. Some manufacturer workshops will take place, and speakers will come from nearly 60 countries.
This congress is being organized with the support of local stakeholders including the Indian Orthopaedic Association, the Orthotics & Prosthetics Association of India (OPAI), the Paediatric Orthopaedic Society of India, the Indian Association of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the Indian Association of Cerebral Palsy and National Institutes under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, such as the Artificial Limb Manufacturing Corporation of India (Kanpur), the National Institute for Orthopaedically Handicapped (Kolkata), the National Institute for Rehabilitation Training and Research (Cuttack) and the Institute for Physically Handicapped (New Delhi). The Training Institutes under the Ministry of Health & Family Care such as the All India Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (Mumbai) and the Safdarjung Hospital (New Delhi) are also supporting.
We are convinced that this event will be of great value for all actors in the region and hope that there will be a ‘before and after’ 2013 for P&O stakeholders across the continent.
A unique event
A multidisciplinary approach
The ISPO World Congress is the only event of its kind because it is organized, thought through and prepared by a team of people who all share the same belief that bringing the various professions involved in treating P&O patients together is essential to improve the quality of patient care.
ISPO advocates a multidisciplinary approach to patient care and works on a daily basis to strengthen increased communication between the various professionals involved in the treatment of patients. This can involve the orthopaedic surgeon performing the surgery to the nurse taking care of the patient in hospitals, the rehabilitation physician coordinating the rehabilitation process and rehabilitation team (across many countries), the psychologist supporting the patient before and after his or her operation, the prosthetist fitting the prosthesis, the physiotherapist accompanying the patient in learning to ‘use’ his/her prosthesis and all others involved in a patient’s treatment. It is all about team work!
A significant part of ISPO activities relies therefore in conducting educational programmes reflecting this multidisciplinary approach. ISPO World Congress is only one aspect of these activities. In addition, through international collaboration and consensus building, ISPO develops and promotes education and training guidelines for P&O professionals (ISPO Category I professionals), as well as orthopaedic technologists (ISPO Category II professionals). ISPO further evaluates and provides recognition for ISPO Category I and II educational programmes and associated professional pathways that are offered by schools and training institutions around the world.
Through World Congresses and Consensus Conferences, ISPO contributes to building the most advanced and interdisciplinary (evidence based as far as possible) knowledge in prosthetics and orthotics science and practice. ISPO strives to make this valuable knowledge and experience available to the prosthetics and orthotics community at large by providing teaching and training to professionals in the field of prosthetics and orthotics and related areas via ISPO Short Courses.
A philanthropic vision
ISPO International and ISPO Member Societies around the world work very hard to promote this multidisciplinary approach and organize educational activities at the local, regional and international levels, always following the same goal: improving the quality of life for persons who may benefit from prosthetic, orthotic, mobility and assistive devices as per ISPO mission.
Further, ISPO is more than a professional society; it is moved by a philanthropic vision to contribute to a world where all persons have equal opportunity for full participation in society. Most importantly, the ISPO World Congress 2013 aims to create synergies across the P&O sector with a view to providing persons with disabilities with best rehabilitation options and assisting them in regaining functions, independence and active participation in society.
Alongside disability advocates, ISPO works to ensure that all people should freely and openly accommodate any person with a
More specifically, under a Cooperative Agreement provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), ISPO undertakes a number of funded activities to ‘facilitate rehabilitation of people with physical disability in developing countries through education and training of prosthetics/orthotics professionals’. For the grant period 2008–2013, ISPO works towards the following main activities: awarding scholarships for professional training, assessing the impact of Category I and II training on the end user of prosthetic and orthotic devices, the quality of prosthetic/orthotic treatment, service provision systems and publishing a new guideline for prosthetic and orthotic services.
Inclusion, participation and empowerment
The theme of the ISPO World Congress 2013 says it all: ‘Inclusion, Participation and Empowerment’. Knowledge gives power and power is precious. But gaining knowledge is a complex process, and we would like to think that this World Congress will pave way for exchange of the highest quality knowledge among all colleagues working in the field of P&O and rehabilitation.
The ISPO World Congress is around the corner. I trust you are appreciating that this event is not just another professional congress. It is a unique gathering of people who care about other people. As our society goes more and more virtual, let us remind ourselves that nothing will replace the emotion, energy and power arising from people meeting each other, gathering, exchanging, learning and ultimately growing together. This ISPO World Congress is more than a meeting of minds!
I hope to see and greet many of you in Hyderabad.