AO In-Hospital for ORP continues to pick up steam in the Philippines

In just three years, the number of in-hospital training events for operating room personnel (ORP) in the Philippines has jumped from zero to twelve, thanks to AO In-Hospital for ORP’s free, easy-to-organize suite of short, highly interactive educational sessions covering the basic principles of orthopedic trauma.

Developed by the AO Trauma ORP Education Taskforce and delivered by experienced AO Faculty, AO In-Hospital for ORP events—formerly known as clinical training modules—are designed to support nurses, technicians, and other ORP with their continuing nursing education at the point of care. 

‘A priority’

When AO Trauma Philippines Council Chairperson Dr Jean-Pierre Leung first read about AO Trauma In-Hospital for ORP, his interest was immediately piqued.

“I saw that ORP educational events were being conducted simultaneously with AO Trauma—Basic Principles of Fracture Management courses…I was interested in bringing these events to the Philippines,” said Leung, an orthopedic surgeon at Notre Dame de Chartres Hospital in Baguio City, Philippines. “When I attended the AO’s Leadership Education Program (LEP) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, ORP regional representative Moarie Grace Tan, RN, from Sengkang General Hospital in Singapore explained the new educational format. When I took over as Country Council Chairperson in 2021, reviving ORP activities in the Philippines became a priority.”

True to his word and with support from Maria Josefa Alfiler, RN, from Philippine General Hospital in Manila and Hyacinth Babag, RN, PTRP, Surgical Assistant, from Notre Dame De Chartres Hospital in Baguio City Leung organized the first AO In-Hospital for ORP event in the Philippines in 2022—at his own hospital where modules 1–3 were conducted for 15 participants representing seven different hospitals. Using a blended format encompassing both online and face-to-face, on-site education, Leung successfully planted the seed for future AO In-Hospital for ORP activities. Shortly after that first event, Alfiler was invited to take part in the AO’s Faculty Education Program (FEP) in Davos, with the goal of organizing and supporting future educational events in the Philippines.

Since that first event, an additional 177 ORP have completed eleven AO In-Hospital for ORP events covering all available trauma modules:

• Module 1: Introduction (bone anatomy and healing, principles of fracture fixation, reduction methods and techniques)
• Module 2: Osteosynthesis with plate and screws
• Module 3: Osteosynthesis with intramedullary nail
• Module 4: Osteosynthesis with tension band fixation and external fixator
• Module 5: Osteosynthesis of the proximal femur
• Module 6: Implant removal
• Module 7: Infection control

Along the way, interest in the sessions have continued to increase—with first-year orthopedic residents taking part—and a number of innovations have been introduced, including a patient- and C-arm positioning and draping workshop, the introduction of content in additional languages such as the Visayan dialect.

Key success factors

Key factors in the success of AO In-Hospital for ORP in the Philippines include:

• An active core staff of Alfiler and Babag, who have completed official AO training
• AO Trauma Philippines’ adoption of, active support for, and commitment to continued championship of AO In-Hospital for ORP as one of its core programs
• Enthusiastic support from host hospitals which have rallied their partners to provide instrumentations, bone models, and special technicians to familiarize participants with operating room setup