Biennium report 2023

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR PROSTHETICS AND ORTHOTICS 31 ISPO Thailand has planned for recruiting more members via different types of activities and benefits. What do your members expected from ISPO International? Our members expect regular virtual meetings or seminars or educational conferences; involvement in the educational platform/forum, consultation, different options for membership and CPD points for licensing requirements. What have been your Member Society’s main challenges and drawbacks this biennium? Prosthetics and orthotics is a new profession in our country, in which many aspects need further improvement. One of the main challenges is the current number of members, which is smaller compared with other countries. The main reason is the high membership fee for a one-year period. Another challenge is about communication and raising awareness of ISPO among Thai CPOs and other health professionals. The perception is of little benefit other than a discount for the ISPO International Conference so people will only attend during the conference year. How did the society support professional development for its members during the biennium? Prosthetics and orthotics in Thailand have gradually grown and been integrated into the Thai healthcare system and Thai society. ISPO Thailand has supported the learning and sharing of P&O knowledge, experience, and skills among P&O and healthcare professionals via various activities, for example, virtual seminars/conferences. In addition, ISPO Thailand has established collaborations with other Thai P&O organisations. How did/does your member society contribute to the following: P&O Day, and ISPO World Congress? ISPO Thailand has been involved in sharing information on our Facebook official platform. (https://www.facebook.com/ISPOTH ) What is the society’s plan for the future, and how does it intend to continue serving its members and advancing ISPO’s mission? There are various virtual and face-to-face activities hosted by ISPO Thailand including a monthly challenging case series, joint conferences/ seminars, and annual general meetings. In addition, both national and international events, i.e., ISPO World Congress, are available for our members to attend at discounted rates, throughout the year. The Netherlands What does being part of ISPO mean for your member society? In our view, ISPO is the interdisciplinary society that brings together professionals working in the field of prosthetics, orthotics, and other assistive technologies to improve the quality of life for persons who (may) benefit from prosthetic, orthotic, mobility and assistive technology. In addition, we view ISPO as the leading global force to increase access to assistive technologies all around the world and in developing countries in particular. Finally, we regard ISPO is the main force to stimulate international collaboration, research projects and dissemination activities. What were your main objectives and goals as a member society during the biennium? The mission of ISPO Netherlands is to be the leading interdisciplinary society that brings together professionals working in the prosthetic, orthotic, mobility and assistive technology field. During this biennium our main goals were: • Providing and stimulating educational activities for professionals working in the field of assistive technology. • Stimulating the exchange of knowledge and best practices within the Netherlands and abroad, with a special emphasis on developing countries. • Fostering consensus building and provide support to maintain consensus. • Stimulating and disseminating patient-based scientific research and technological development. • Bringing together all relevant professions in a professional and interdisciplinary network. The main objective of ISPO Netherlands is to ensure that individuals using assistive technology have and will have maximal access to the healthcare that they need. Achieving this vision rests on two main pillars: the first is to ensure that the health care professionals have the required knowledge and skills, and the second is to ensure that there is room to develop efficient and effective products, procedures, and therapies to secure access to health care while keeping it affordable at the same time. These main pillars form the basis of the main activities of ISPO Netherlands: knowledge transfer and networking. How has the membership base of the society changed during the biennium, and what strategies have been implemented to attract and retain members? The membership base has not changed substantially during the past biennium. We have implemented a structured communication plan to increase our presence on social media, mainly LinkedIn, which has led to a substantial increase in followers. Furthermore, we have organised several webinars throughout this biennium for our members to keep them informed on the latest news and scientific research. Finally, we have organized our 4-day course on amputation and prosthetics of the lower extremity for teams during the past biennium.