The American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics and Pedorthics (ABC) and the National Commission on Orthotics and Prosthetics Education (NCOPE) have been awarded the International Society of Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO) Category I recognition for the CPO designation.
To receive Category I recognition, ABC and NCOPE applied to ISPO together as a pathway for those individuals interested in obtaining their CPO designation. ISPO reviewed the entire method for becoming credentialed as a CPO, from primary education and residency, to the ABC credentialing examinations.
In December 2008, ABC and NCOPE hosted surveyors from ISPO in Dallas, Texas, to conduct an onsite visit. This included visiting two NCOPE-accredited residency programs, a hospital-based program, and an O&P patient care facility. While in Dallas, the ISPO surveyors interviewed students and faculty from the O&P program at the University of Texas-Southwestern. Finally, the surveyors were onsite to observe the ABC clinical patient management (CPM) examination. While the surveyors were at the exam, they also reviewed the orthotic and prosthetic written and written simulation exams to evaluate ABC’s examination process.
The standards ISPO enforces are recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO), so by obtaining Category I recognition, ABC/NCOPE has demonstrated the equivalency of the approach used to properly educate, train, and assess the competency of O&P practitioners in the United States, as compared to international standards. ISPO Category I recognition will be awarded to those ABC certifees who received both their orthotic and prosthetic (CPO) designation using the ABC/NCOPE pathway, effective December 2008.
ABC is the only credentialing body in the United States that has received Category I recognition from ISPO.
