The American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association (AOPA) has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP 111012) to solicit applications for experienced academic institutions to act as the chief scientist and principal investigator of an evidence-based statement relating to prosthetic management following transtibial amputation. Key tasks will include conducting a systematic review of the literature and establishing assessment and treatment pathways that relate to defined episodes of care. The deadline for application is December 20, 2012.
AOPA is targeting up to $50,000 for the grant, although applicants are encouraged to submit proposals for the amount they deem necessary and commensurate with the work, supported by both proposal and budget.
The scope of work will begin with the amputation as a reconstructive procedure, the acute or immediate postoperative management phase (including methods that can be used to control edema, reduce pain, provide optimal shaping of the residual limb and limit potential for contractures), the sub acute phase, the rehabilitation phase, and ongoing provision of prosthetic management throughout the person’s lifetime. The chief scientist, in collaboration with an AOPA-assembled transtibial evidence-based practice statement working group, will:
- use a recognized system of critical appraisal to conduct and present a systematic review relevant to the scope of the topic.
- prepare a potential algorithm to encompass all key decision points and episodes of care following transtibial amputation.
- align findings of systematic review with episodes of care to identify measurable outcomes to determine best practices.
- compile a working draft of the practice standards which will become the basis for an in-depth review by a larger reference group of experts.
- modify the draft document to reflect the decisions and input of the practice standards reference group and prepare the final document for publication.
Deadlines related to the post-award process include conducting and delivering the systematic review of the literature to the working group by June 1, 2013, delivering a draft of the evidence-based statement and treatment algorithm to the expert reference group by September 1, 2013, presenting the systematic literature review at the 2013 AOPA World Congress in September, and submitting the research manuscript to peer-reviewed medical journals for publication by December 1, 2013.
Complete submission details can be found on the AOPA website.
