The 2025 NCOPE Residency Standards define Minimum Activity Volumes (MAVs) for office visits and specific orthoses/prostheses. It is important to recognize that a single office visit counts as 1 activity. An episode of care for a person requiring a new transtibial prosthesis will account for multiple MAVs relative to transtibial prosthetic management. For example:
A person with a unilateral transtibial amputation 1) is seen for an initial evaluation at week one, 2) is cast for a definitive prosthesis at week two, 3) is fit with a test socket at week three, 4) accepts delivery of the definitive prosthesis at week four, and 5) is seen for an initial follow-up visit at week five. This episode of care required five separate visits and therefore would count as five transtibial activities.
Assessing Sites Seeking Accreditation for the First Time #
Sites will be prompted to provide an EMR or office visit report with the patient name and DOB redacted to demonstrate the ability to offer residents adequate patient volumes and variety.
Assessing Sites Renewing Accreditation #
Residency sites renewing accreditation on or after July 1, 2025 will be assessed for patient access and volumes by the NCOPE staff by reviewing the case logs provided by former residents. Sites that feel that the former residents’ case logs are not reflective of the sites ability to offer adequate variety and patient volume may also submit supplemental documentation such as an EMR report with patient name and DOB redacted to demonstrate compliance.
Required Procedures / Visits #
Residents require a well-rounded exposure to all domains of practice including Evaluation, Casting/Shape Capture, Diagnostic Fittings, Deliveries, Adjustments/Follow-up/Maintenance.
Required Orthoses #
* Custom fabricated or custom fit are acceptable for these orthoses.
** The total listed may include activities documented at the observe, assist, and perform levels. Any totals listed in the Assist or Independent column must also be met.
Elective Lower Limb Orthoses #
* Custom fabricated or custom fit are acceptable for these orthoses.
Other Elective Orthoses #
Required Prostheses #
* The total listed may include activities documented at the observe, assist, and perform levels. Any totals listed in the Assist or Independent column must also be met.
Elective Lower Limb Prostheses #
Elective Postoperative Prostheses #
Elective Upper Limb Prostheses #
Residents are not required to provide independent upper limb prosthetic care, but the resident must assist or independently provide the majority of care for a minimum of 10 visits for a patient with upper limb deficiency or acquired limb loss.
PHI-Redacted Report #
First-time applications are required to submit a PHI-redacted report to demonstrate that the residency site meets the MAV requirements. To assist with what NCOPE is looking for in this report, sites are welcome to use the document below as a reference.