Central & South America Report

By Rosie Jované C. and Carolina Schiappacasse

As we mentioned before, education is providing the opportunity to improve the academic level of the technicians and O&P practitioners in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean region.

Seminars presented and sponsored by local groups of professionals, as well as courses offered by some manufacturing companies, are changing not only the technical management of the patient who needs O&P services, but also the physicians' approach in clinical and prescription management.

The communication between O&P national associations from Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Spain is frequent, clear, and honest, and is helping all of us to place the real situation, the real problem, and possible solutions on the table. The "distance learning" training program offered by University Don Bosco in El Salvador provides a great educational opportunity for those who have been working in the O&P field without appropriate academic training. This program will assist all efforts related to improving the quality of service provided to patients from governmental, nonprofit, or private O&P facilities.

The recently founded Latin American Committee for Orthotics and Prosthetics Education (CLEO)-its name has been changed to "Ibero-American Committee for Orthotics and Prosthetics Education" (CIEPO) after the addition of Spain and Portugal-is also a very important step forward in this issue.

These groups are responsible for establishing a framework for O&P educational programs in this region as well as for establishing and maintaining communication with international groups and sponsors of nonprofit projects and programs.

From our personal point of view, it is very important to establish an "O&P Service Regulation" with the health authorities in each Latin American country- not only to regulate ethical issues related to providing O&P services, but also to control the status of the "certification" that some persons are obtaining through various nonprofit programs presented by international groups. This type of certification allows people apply for "practitioners" positions without complete, formal training, and it jeopardizes the real meaning of a formal education.

We would like to know if the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO) Educational Committee can support our notes to be sent to Health Ministry authorities in various countries in Central America to clarify the fact that ISPO has recognized the Don Bosco University O&P Program as a complete educational training for O&P practitioners.

Other "courses" or seminars should be evaluated by local authorities to determine the level of education and training. Based on the results of this evaluation, classifications can then be made of the personnel and their positions, including their responsibilities and salary.

We would like to emphasize that we are not against the programs or courses offered by any international group. We really believe that any educational assistance is needed, but what we need at this moment is the support from international professionals groups such as ISPO and CIEPO to be able to backup our proposal on the "Regulation of O&P Services." A letter from those international groups attached to our proposal will help us to open some governmental doors and present our concern and alternatives. Please consider it.

The ISPO Educational Committee as well as the "Ibero-American Committee for Orthotics and Prosthetics Education" (CIEPO) could help us and our countries' authorities to understand and differentiate among the level of education, responsibilities and clinical impact on the service provide by professionals graduated from a formal and complete program, such as the one offered by University Don Bosco, versus those persons with a certificate from programs provided by international groups, such as Physicians Against Land Mines (PALM), the Spanish Red Cross, or by the World Rehabilitation Fund (WRF) in Guatemala, among others.

Any comments or advice from all of you would be very much appreciated, because we all look to improving education and to assuring that orthotic and prosthetic services are legally well-regulated.

It is to no avail that our people receive a [formal, complete O&P] education if our health system does not regulate O&P services within ethical, clinical, and educational parameters.

Additional Information: National member societies (national societies and/or ISPO chapters) are working with health authorities on efforts to regulate O&P Services in Panama, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, and Brazil.

Other groups or committees of individual O&P professionals (not associated with national societies or ISPO chapters) in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Puerto Rico are also working with their countries' authorities toward the same objectives of regulating O&P services.

Questions and comments from John Craig, CPO, member of the Executive Board, International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO), and Rosielena Jované C:

Craig: Can you tell me which countries in Latin America have ISPO National Member Societies? Jované: Panama, Curaçao, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, and Brazil.

Craig: Are other [Latin American] countries considering forming ISPO National Member Societies? Jované: Mexico, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and El Salvador.

Craig: Has there been any international seminar held recently or will be presented in the near future? Jované: The closest upcoming international seminar is a course on spinal orthotic management, organized by the Mexican Society of Orthotists and Prosthetists A.C. (SMOPAC). The course will be held in December in the Mexican city of Torreón, Coahuila State. The course is sponsored by University Don Bosco and the University of Durango, Mexico.

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