So at the beginning of this blog journey of mine, I shared my favorite cartoon video of a little green frog and I titled my blog post, The Little Frog And Your Hip Hope. So fast forward two and half years later and I'm talking about another green frog and hip hope. This time this little froggy is actually focused on Hip hope for kids so they can hop to hip health. How coincidental is that?
I just also posted about the first annual Hip Health Day (#hiphealthday) and this post is giving you some background on the organization behind this amazing celebration. I was fortunate to have a chance to meet this group of incredible hip healers last week and they have been so kind as to answer some questions for you hippies!
What is the "why" behind the forming of your organization?
Global problems demand worldwide, collaborative engagement. Pediatric hip
conditions are a global challenge which can be addressed through active work. The Hip
Hope Network offers a platform for hip experts to meet this challenge, actively working
to include and amplify voices around the world. Traditionally collaborations have
occurred within North America and among English-speaking nations, however we aim
for this network to be inclusive beyond this narrow scope.
We work towards improved health and wellbeing for patients, with a focus on local
solutions driving global change.
What is your organization's mission statement?
Our working mission statement is: “A solution for every hip health challenge”
What do you see as the primary role of Hip Hope Network?
Our primary role is to act as a global
hip health network and resource
platform, connecting and enabling
hip health advocates and allies, in
their work.
Who is your primary audience?
Our primary audience is hip experts, including clinicians, allied health practitioners,
and researchers and patients and families. We also aim to form partnerships with
advocates.
What are some ways that the Hip Hope Network helps to engage with the global hip community?
So far we’ve brought together clinicians, researchers and allied health personnel from around the world to work together to form the network. We’ve engaged with surgeons and physiotherapists so far from Europe, Asia, North America, South America and Australia. As the network is still being established, we have yet to reach out to the community at large.
Although you are an organization that focuses on pediatrics, many pediatric patients grow up into adults. Will you also be supporting those adults who had/have pediatric hip disorders?
Absolutely! As many adult hip conditions originate during growth and development,
early diagnosis and treatment leads to improved outcomes for all. We are also going to
work on the continuum of hip health from pediatrics into adulthood.
What type of research is the Hip Hope network looking to be involved in?
The major focus of the network research will be to create registries for rare hip
conditions. Registries are databases of patient information collected from initial
diagnosis to skeletal maturity and includes information about how they were
diagnosed, what treatments were provided and the outcomes of these treatments.
Many of the clinicians working to form the network have already successfully built or
participated in registries like the International Hip Dysplasia Registry (IHDR), Slipped
Capitol Femoral Epiphysis (SCFE) Longitudinal International Prospective Registry
(SLIP), Outcomes of Hip Interventions for Children with Cerebral Palsy (CHOP),
International Perthes Studies Group Registry (IPSG) and the Academic Network of
Conservational Hip Outcomes Research (ANCHOR). However, there are other pediatric
hip conditions that are rare and affect a relatively small number of patients. This makes
studying these conditions difficult. Large numbers of patients are usually needed to
investigate new treatments, screening protocols or surgeries. By involving clinicians
globally in the network, we’ll be able to include much greater numbers of these
patients to hopefully answer some of the burning questions related to treatment and
outcomes. Also by including patients from around the world, any studies that we
develop within the registries will be more globally relevant with a diverse population.
If you could impart on hip patients and their parents one message as they travel through their journeys, what would it be?
Most of these conditions can be treated so that people can carry on with their life’s
goals and aspirations. Earlier diagnosis when less complex interventions are successful
is required. We aim to raise awareness and advocate for patients and families in order
to improve outcomes and quality of life.
Can we see the faces of your team who are helping out with this hip advocacy?
Does any music, song or poem speak to your message?
We are actually working on creating a song (HIPpy song).
[A poem that speaks to our message is]
‘Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief.
Do justly, now.
Love mercy, now.
Walk humbly, now.
You are not obligated to complete the work,
But neither are you free to abandon it.’
- The Talmud
So, fellow hippies, check it out. Instagram and Twitter handles are: @hiphope_network
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