Biennium report 2023

BIENNIUM REPORT 2021-2023 10 Global Educators Meeting The ISPO Global Educators Meeting (GEM) is an international collaboration between Prosthetics and Orthotics (P&O) Educators that is committed to ongoing knowledge exchange, professional development, and supportive learning. The meetings, which take place every four years, give P&O training programmes globally the opportunity to showcase their activities, connect with peers and discuss future needs and strategies of P&O education. The 3rd ISPO Global Educators Meeting (GEM), which took place virtually between 8-10 June 2022 focused on education in the field of Prosthetics and Orthotics (P&O) under the theme “Advancing P&O Education in Disruptive Time: Leveraging Opportunities”. The purpose of such events is to bring together those involved in P&O education to discuss educational matters and create an environment to develop new professional relationships and build on existing ones. The next GEM meeting will be held at the Baylor College of Medicine, USA on 22 – 24 October 2024 Accreditation Programme The number of prosthetic and orthotic training programmes seeking ISPO accreditation is growing steadily. ISPO accreditation is designed to ensure that programmes have the infrastructure and resources in place to guide students to become entry-level practitioners who are able to increase access and provide a quality prosthetic and orthotic service. To date, ISPO has accredited over 50 prosthetics and orthotics training programmes and professional pathways, resulting in over 8,000 graduates who have received an ISPO certificate which is proof of the quality of their education. In the current biennium (2021-2023), the Education Committee has continued to implement the revised Standards by advising training programmes and auditors on the new elements. As a result of the health restrictions put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, audit activities were conducted virtually. Twelve virtual audits were conducted by the end of 2021 and 14 in 2022. ISPO would like to congratulate all the training programmes that have been re-accredited and newly accredited in this biennium. In 2023, the Education Committee has been carrying out physical audits wherever possible.