AOPA Survey Project Report
Bertram D. Litt *
During the month of May the AOPA Survey of Orthotic Services conducted interviews in approximately 180 civilian facilities located in 88 cities throughout the nation. Selection of the facilities visited was planned so that it was as representative as possible. The primary consideration was distribution of people and medical centers within the nine geographical areas developed last year for the Survey of Prosthetic Services. These areas are: New England. Central Atlantic, Southern. Midwestern. North Central. Rocky Mountain. Texas-Oklahoma, California, and Pacific Northwest. Other factors such as city and shop size, association membership and non-membership, certified and non-certified, private and institutional civilian facilities were included in drawing each sample.
The interviews were conducted by a group of fourteen orthotists traveling in seven two-man teams. The Survey owes a special debt of gratitude to these men, who took time from their business to participate in the survey. All arc well trained in terms of experience, and are either certified or plan to lake the certification examinations as soon as possible.
The interviewers, whose picture appears below, attended a special training course in mid-April. Two members of the Survey Content Committee. Messers. John Clancy, C.O., of the Children's Hospital Medical Center in Boston, and John A. DeBender. C.O., of DeBender and Co. of Chicago, worked with LeRoy Nattress, Project Director, and Bertram Litt. Associate. Project Director, in conducting the training course. The Survey regrets to report that because of illness one of the prospective interviewers who attended the Course, John Retzler. Jr., of New York City, was unable to participate in the field work of the project.
Fig. 1
|
