The American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics and Pedorthics, Inc. (ABC) is committed to maintaining the distinction of excellence in pedorthic credentialing. ABC has taken several steps in the past year to ensure that the high standards of the pedorthic profession are continuing to be met. The involvement of ABC Certified Pedorthists in the evaluation and review of standards and requirements confirms ABC’s dedication to the pedorthic profession.
ABC’s mission is focused on establishing and promoting the highest standards of organizational and clinical performance in the delivery of orthotic, prosthetic and pedorthic services. ABC carries out its mission by administering certification, continuing education and accreditation programs, as well as promoting professional ethics and communicating the importance of the ABC credentials.
Certified Pedorthist Practice AnalysisABC recently conducted a survey of the profession to create a Practice Analysis of Certified Pedorthists. The pedorthic community showed overwhelming support by their tremendous participation. Among other uses, the Practice Analysis allows ABC to develop test specifications and evaluate the credentialing requirements for future ABC Certified Pedorthists. Dennis Dillard, C.Ped., RTO, chairman of the ABC Pedorthic Exam Team adds, “Insights gleaned from the practice analysis data are absolutely essential to the construction of relevant and defensible certification exams. In addition, this information serves the pedorthic education community in their ongoing task of providing instruction and training that is commensurate with the current practices of the profession.”
ABC Pedorthic Exam ReviewThe ABC Pedorthic Exam Team met last month to review and approve the certification examination and set the passing point for this year. The examination is an essential part of the ABC pedorthic credentialing program. Comprised of ABC Certified Pedorthists, the exam team’s goal is to ensure a contemporary exam that comprehensively measures the candidates’ knowledge and skills.
Scope of Practice UpdatedABC’s Scope of Practice Committee just released its updated Orthotics, Prosthetics and Pedorthics Scope of Practice. The Scope of Practice is reviewed by a group of Certified Pedorthists, Orthotists and Prosthetists to ensure its continued relevancy to the profession. The committee determined that the previous Board for Certification in Pedorthics (BCP) Pedorthic Scope of Practice clearly and completely defined the parameters of pedorthic patient care; therefore no substantive changes were needed. A copy of the Scope of Practice is available on the ABC website at www.abcop.org.
Pedorthic Patient Care Experience Requirement In keeping with its mission, the ABC board of directors added an additional requirement for pedorthic certification eligibility. All candidates applying for pedorthic credentialing after March 2, 2009 will need to complete 1,000 hours of pedorthic patient care experience prior to applying for certification. These hours can be obtained at either accredited or non-accredited facilities; may be a combination of patient care and retail experience and may be obtained prior to, or after, completion of an approved pedorthic course. Serving as the clinical training portion of a pedorthist’s education, this requirement provides students with practical application of the knowledge, skills and competencies gained during their education programs.
The certified pedorthists on the ABC board of directors are especially supportive of the new requirement. According to Dennis Janisse, C.Ped., ABC board member, pedorthic instructor and Past President of the PFA, “Many of my students today and throughout the years admit that after they completed their education course they realized how unprepared they were for the myriad of responsibilities they faced in actual patient care. In particular many of them had absolutely no hands on or clinical experience, making it difficult at best for them to provide optimal patient care!”
Prior to its merger with ABC, the leadership of the BCP was exploring the addition of clinical experience to their credential. Don Pierson, CO, C.Ped. and ABC board member, adds that “the ABC Certified Pedorthist credential was the only ABC credential that did not have an experiential requirement. In addition, BCP was committed to adding the work experience requirement to its credentialing standards. ABC wholeheartedly agreed with BCP that this experiential requirement was a crucial part of the qualifications for an ABC Certified Pedorthist and worked hard to make this happen.”
Robert S. Lin, CPO, FAAOP, ABC President adds, “The addition of 1,000 hours of clinical experience for the C.Ped. credential is a natural evolution for this provider category. We are confident that this requirement will not be burdensome for those dedicated professionals seeking the C.Ped. certification. ”
Code of Professional Responsibility RevisedThe ABC Professional Discipline Committee (PDC) has recently published a revised Code of Professional Responsibility. The PDC actively fulfills its mission by investigating unethical behavior, misuse of credential or individuals practicing outside their ABC scope of practice. The Code, Rules and Complaint Form can be found on the ABC website at www.abcop.org.
Facility Accreditation DeadlineThe CMS deadline for pedorthic facilities to achieve accreditation is September 30, 2009. To speak to an ABC accreditation specialist call 703-836-7114 and ask for Facility Accreditation.
For complete information on the ABC certification, facility accreditation and other programs visit www.abcop.org.