Click here for the latest ISPO Canada newsletter!
Renew your Membership for 2020!
Membership subscriptions are now due for 2020.
Please note that membership renewals are now handled through the ISPO International website for ISPO Canada members. Existing members can renew their membership by heading to the “My account” area, where you will have the option to renew online and make your payment by credit card. *If you would prefer to pay by cheque, please use the following Application Form.
The ISPO membership year runs from 1 January through to 31 December. There is currently no provision for pro-rata payments so it’s best to renew early to ensure you can take best advantage of all member benefits.
New members can join here.
Has your membership lapsed? Rejoin here.
ISPO Survey on WHO Standards
ISPO Survey on WHO Standards for Prosthetic and Orthotic Service Provision
Following the publication of the WHO Standards for Prosthetics and Orthotics in 2017 and the ISPO Education Standards for Prosthetic/Orthotic Occupations in 2018, there has been a huge effort to make assistive technology more available and accessible.
With a view to getting an understanding about each country’s current status relating to prosthetic and orthotic services, and in order to assess relevance and priorities of the standards, ISPO is gathering information by surveying its members. The survey is accessible ONLY to ISPO members.
About the survey
The survey is divided into four individual parts and consists of 3 questions on each of the 60 standards. There are thus 180 questions in total, for which it is estimated to require 30 minutes to answer. You may however choose to answer the four parts at different times if you prefer to spend shorter amounts of time on it. Please note that it is required to reply to all the parts of the survey and that the survey is strictly anonymous.
The results will be shared with each ISPO Member Society: based on the gathered country data, ISPO Member Societies will produce a consensus report. In a final step, the results would be used for further collaboration with WHO.
To facilitate the development of a broader understanding, the survey is now available in French, Spanish, Arabic, traditional and simplified Chinese, as well as English in order to facilitate responsiveness throughout the Society worldwide.
About the WHO Standards for Prosthetics and Orthotics
The World Health Organization (WHO), in partnership with the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has prepared global Standards for Prosthetics and Orthotics, accompanied by an Implementation Manual, which were launched in 2017.
Aimed at assisting countries in setting up, improving or transforming their systems for delivering prosthetic and orthotics services which are high-quality and affordable, the standards are people-centred and seek to ensure that everyone in need has access to prostheses and orthoses worldwide.
With these standards, any government can develop national policies, plans and programmes for prosthetic and orthotic services of the highest standard. Four areas of the health system are covered by the standards:
- Policy: governance, finance and information – providing an adequate framework to ensure access and affordability;
- Products: prostheses and orthoses – establishing a national list of priority products focusing on awareness, development and procurement of devices;
- Personnel: workforce – gaining professional recognition and providing high-quality training;
- Provision of Services: planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating services.
WHO’s implementation manual focuses on the practical details and describes the “what, why, how, who and when” behind the standards to assist policy-makers and health care programme managers in planning, implementing and managing the prosthetic and orthotic services in their country.
You can consult the WHO Standards here below.
