Old Dominion University's College of Health Sciences, School of Physical Therapy, proposes to host a national conference titled """"""""Collaborative Practice and Research to Improve Functional Outcomes for Amputees,"""""""" to be held in Norfolk, Virginia April 11-12, 2008. The conference will bring together the core disciplines involved in the treatment of people with lower limb amputations, vascular and orthopedic surgeons, prosthetists and physical therapists, and rehabilitation experts from the military to 1) share current evidence based best practice guidelines across disciplines, 2) identify barriers to collaborative practice and research and 3) develop a collaborative research agenda. The conference is expected to attract 200 registrants and will address substantive issues in surgical procedures, prosthetic fabrication, and physical rehabilitation. Didactic instruction and experiential group exercises will be used to foster adoption of a collaborative practice and research model to improve functional outcomes for people with lower limb amputations. The experiential group exercises called, Collaborative Learning Modules, will be interactive, case based, small group sessions, designed to train participants in the skills and knowledge needed to practice collaboratively. Post-conference evaluation activities will assess whether conference participants are more likely to 1) implement a collaborative practice model into their clinical activities 2) adopt the use of well established measures of functional outcomes in their practice and 3) support a collaborative research agenda. Outcomes of the conference will be disseminated through workshops at national and international professional organizations, publications in peer reviewed journals and a final report detailing conference findings. This conference supports the AHRQ agenda of developing partnerships for improving the quality of heath care services for populations with disabilities and in capacity building for health services research. ? ? ?
