Osteopathic Medical Profession Research Articles

A century of radiology in osteopathic healthcare.

This commemorative note, in recognition of the 100th anniversary of radiology in osteopathic healthcare, reviews the development of the specialty from the initial availability of primitive equipment to its present status as an important component of patient care and a significant element in the consideration of socioeconomic issues affecting patient welfare. The osteopathic medical profession was quick to grasp the potential of the new modality, and its history is an exciting aspect of osteopathic medicine's progress.

Current Barriers in Pursuing Otolaryngology as an Osteopathic Applicant and Proposed Goals for the Future.

The osteopathic (DO) medical profession has seen a substantial increase in popularity, evident by the drastic increase in the DO physician workforce and increasing number of DO graduates in the United States. Osteopathic medical schools have historically been primary care focused, resulting in a majority of their graduates pursuing practice in those specialties. This focus may be inadvertently creating a disadvantageous environment for DO students who aim to pursue specialized or traditionally competitive fields in medicine. Otolaryngology is a prime example of osteopathic underrepresentation, as there is currently a significantly low percentage of DO residents in otolaryngology residency programs and practicing DO otolaryngologists. Given the recent American Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and American Osteopathic Association (AOA) merger between osteopathic and allopathic (MD) residency programs, it is of great value to further discuss avenues for progress and mitigation of barriers.

Report on 7 Years' Experience Implementing an Undergraduate Medical Curriculum for Osteopathic Medical Students Using Entrustable Professional Activities.

Calls for changes in undergraduate medical education and the advent of the single graduate medical education accreditation system have challenged the osteopathic medical profession to maintain its identity and distinctiveness while adapting to innovations. For the osteopathic medical profession to thrive, its colleges must provide students with an educational framework that solidifies their osteopathic identity. The authors developed an integrated anatomy-clinical skills course at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, Osteopathic Clinical Skills, that used the performance benchmarks of the Entrustable Professional Activities and the Osteopathic Core Competencies for Medical Students from the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. A primary tenet of osteopathic medicine is the relationship of structure and function; Osteopathic Clinical Skills fuses anatomical sciences with clinical skills and underscores this tenet in clinical diagnosis and treatment. This article describes the development and implementation of an educational framework that integrates anatomy, physical examination, history taking, and other clinical skills with osteopathic medicine principles and practice and osteopathic manipulative treatment.

Empathy and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine: Is It All in the Hands?

The osteopathic medical school curriculum is unique because of the inclusion of training in osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM). Interest in and use of OMM promotes cognitive training in diagnosing conditions, emotional training in the alleviation of pain, and physical training in the application of OMM. Osteopathic manipulative medicine may mitigate a reduction in empathy levels of medical students and explain why osteopathic medical students do not follow the declining pattern of empathy previously reported in allopathic medical students. To examine whether favorable opinions of OMM are positively correlated with overall student empathy as well as the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral subcomponents of empathy. Institutional review board approval was obtained to measure empathy in medical students attending the Midwestern University/Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine for this cross-sectional study. The 20-item Jefferson Scale of Empathy medical student version (JSE-S) was distributed via email to first-year students at the beginning of the 2016-2017 academic year and at the end of the academic year to all students. Items were divided into cognitive, emotional, and behavioral categories. Items related to demographics, interest and use of OMM and the osteopathic philosophy, frequency of touch, and personality were also included in the survey. Data were analyzed using SPSS software and presented as mean (SEM). Statistical significance was set at P<.05. Of the 801 students the survey was sent to at the end of the 2016-2017 academic year, 598 students completed the survey, for a response rate of 75%. When accounting for the effect of gender with a multivariate analysis of covariance, there were no differences in empathy scores across school years. When empathy scores from first- and second-year students were combined and compared with combined third- and fourth-year students' scores to examine the difference between empathy in students during academic and clinical training, a difference in the mean (SEM) JSE-S empathy score was noted (114.6 [0.7] and 112.0 [0.7], respectively; P=.01); however, the effect size was small (partial η2=0.01). Interest in OMM and the osteopathic philosophy were significantly associated with higher empathy scores (P<.05; medium effect; partial η2=0.08). Interest in and use of OMM are associated with higher empathy scores and empathy subcomponents. Training and use of OMM should be examined as a mechanism contributing to the durability of empathy in the osteopathic medical profession.

The One Health Initiative as a Basis for Research Development in the Department of Pharmacology at Midwestern University.

The One Health Initiative focuses on the complex relationships among the health of humans, animals, plants, microbes, and the environment. There are dynamic and delicate balances among these various elements, and disruption of these elements can have adverse effects on human health. Over the past 5 years, the Department of Pharmacology at the Midwestern University/Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine has used the One Health Initiative as a framework for the growth and development of ongoing research programs in the area of environmental toxicology. As described in this article, this One Health approach has been successful, as evidenced by increases in the number of publications and level of grant-seeking activity by department faculty. With its emphasis on holistic patient care, the osteopathic medical profession is well positioned to be a leading advocate for the One Health Initiative.

Factors Associated With Osteopathic Primary Care Residency Choice Decisions.

The osteopathic medical profession traditionally emphasized the education of primary care physicians. A common thread for both osteopathic and allopathic residency matches, however, has been an increase in the interest in specialties outside of primary care. To determine whether there are critical points in medical school associated with residency selection decision-making, what factors affect residency selection decisions, and whether any identifiable shifts or trends exist. This mixed-methods study sequentially used qualitative and quantitative research approaches. The study population was a convenience sample of osteopathic medical students, interns and residents, and practicing physicians from partner medical schools, associated hospitals, and a regional association of osteopathic physicians. In the first phase, interviews and focus group discussions were analyzed for codes, categories, and themes relating to factors that influence residency selection. In the second phase, a survey was created from the results of the first phase and administered to study participants. Of the 3450 potential participants, 282 completed the survey. Ninety-one of 209 participants (43.5%) indicated that the third year of medical school was the time they will or did decide what type of residency program to pursue. There were no significant differences in the mean scores between the respondent groups (ie, students, residents, and physicians) when ranking the importance of the 10 influential factors associated with residency selection decision-making (P>.05 for all). The highest percentage of participants indicated the third year of medical school was the time that they made residency selection decisions regarding what specialty they were interested in entering. No shifts regarding the importance of specific primary care residency choice factors were found between training status of respondents.

Measuring Multidimensional Empathy: Theoretical and Practical Considerations for Osteopathic Medical Researchers.

Osteopathic physicians are increasingly recognizing the importance of empathy for improving patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes. This review advocates for a multidimensional perspective of empathy, encompassing both affective and cognitive empathy, and highlights situational and dispositional factors relevant to the curtailment of empathy. A review of the utility of self-report, behavioral, and physiological measures that researchers may use to quantify empathy in further research is also provided. The authors encourage members of the osteopathic medical profession to embrace a fuller understanding of empathy.

A Qualitative, Interview-Based Study of the Health Policy Fellowship's Osteopathic Identity.

Since 1993, the Health Policy Fellowship (HPF) has trained osteopathic professionals in health policy and leadership. Although almost 250 fellows have graduated from the program, many of whom have assumed leadership roles within the osteopathic medical profession, the HPF has, to the authors' knowledge, never been subjected to scholarly analysis. To understand the HPF's professional significance as a health policy and leadership training program that has enrolled mostly osteopathic physicians. Semistructured interviews were conducted with graduates supplemented by interviews with other professionals involved with the HPF. Using an inductive grounded theory approach, we coded interviews for major themes. Forty-three interviews were conducted, 38 of which were with graduates of the program and 5 of which were with HPF staff. The data suggest that although the content of the HPF is applicable to all medical professionals, the program's language and structure are designed to accommodate specific needs of osteopathic professionals. Specifically, the language of the fellowship emphasizes the "high ground" (considering multiple perspectives on an issue), and the structure of the fellowship allows fellows to continue in their jobs but travel to several COMs and to Washington, DC, throughout the year. Closer examination of the HPF helped convey the relevance of this program, and perhaps programs like it, for a minority medical profession still finding its voice within the policy climate of US health care.

Growing Research Among Osteopathic Residents and Medical Students: A Consortium-Based Research Education Continuum Model.

In general, physicians' interest in research continues to be a challenge. The lack of research culture is more pronounced in the osteopathic medical profession, which is historically not research oriented. With increasing focus on evidence-based medicine and with the single accreditation system for graduate medical education in motion, growing research and scholarly activities among osteopathic physicians and students and residents becomes imperative. This article illustrates how an educational consortium, such as an osteopathic postdoctoral training institution, can play a pivotal role in creating a culture of research through broad-based training of medical students and residents.

Osteopathic Medical Education and Social Accountability.

The public's trust in physicians continues to decline. As a way to begin regaining this trust, stakeholders, including physicians, medical educators, patient advocacy groups, and community-based organizations, have called for medical education to meet societal health needs, particularly the needs of those members who are most vulnerable, by incorporating social accountability into the medical school curriculum. The unique attributes of the osteopath-ic medical profession provide an enabling and conducive environment for broader social accountability in the health care system. Osteopathic medical schools must actively safeguard the profession's unequivocal commitment to producing healers that are fiduciaries for their patients, communities, and populations at large.

Research in the Osteopathic Medical Profession: Roadmap to Recovery—Conundrums in Osteopathic Research Require Consensus and Collaboration

Research in the Osteopathic Medical Profession: Roadmap to Recovery—Conundrums in Osteopathic Research Require Consensus and Collaboration

Observational Study Fails to Demonstrate the Effectiveness of OMT in Decreasing Low Back Pain

Abstract The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association (JAOA) encourages osteopathic physicians, faculty members and students at colleges of osteopathic medicine, and others within the health care professions to submit comments related to articles published in the JAOA and the mission of the osteopathic medical profession. The JAOA's editors are particularly interested in letters that discuss recently published original research. Letters must be submitted online at http://www.osteopathic.org/JAOAsubmit. Letters to the editor are considered for publication in the JAOA with the understanding that they have not been published elsewhere and are not simultaneously under consideration by any other publication. All accepted letters to the editor are subject to editing and abridgment. Although the JAOA welcomes letters to the editor, these contributions have a lower publication priority than other submissions. As a consequence, letters are published only when space allows.

Research in the osteopathic medical profession: roadmap to recovery.

Research in the osteopathic medical profession: roadmap to recovery.

Is the Osteopathic Medical Profession Prepared for a Radiologic or Nuclear Incident?

Is the Osteopathic Medical Profession Prepared for a Radiologic or Nuclear Incident?

Axioms, Osteopathic Culture, and a Perspective From Geriatric Medicine

Osteopathic medicine is a rapidly growing discipline in health care that has much to offer the wider biomedical community. A distinction of the osteopathic medical profession is the importance of an overall guiding philosophy. Despite the osteopathic medical profession's success, there remains concern about the profession's ability to maintain its unique identity. Among many factors that have contributed to the profession's success, certain axioms from its earliest days are pertinent to the profession's identity. Maintaining a knowledge and appreciation of osteopathic axioms can play an important role in safeguarding the profession's identity. These axioms encapsulate osteopathic philosophy and, moreover, are universally useful for patient care. As osteopathic geriatricians, the authors explore the value and meaning of these axioms for anyone who treats patients, but especially for the care of the elderly. The authors also propose a new axiom, derived from the experience of 2 of the authors: "First try to blame it on the medications."

2013-2022 Strategic Plan for Research: A Role for Everyone in Promoting Research in the Osteopathic Medical Profession

Article 2013-2022 Strategic Plan for Research: A Role for Everyone in Promoting Research in the Osteopathic Medical Profession was published on September 1, 2013 in the journal Journal of Osteopathic Medicine (volume 113, issue 9).

Bibliometric measures and National Institutes of Health funding at colleges of osteopathic medicine, 2006-2010.

During the past 20 years, colleges of osteopathic medicine (COMs) have made several advances in research that have substantially improved the osteopathic medical profession and the health of the US population. Furthering the understanding of research at COMs, particularly the factors influencing the attainment of extramural funds, is highly warranted and coincides with the missions of most COMs and national osteopathic organizations. To describe bibliometric measures (numbers of peer-reviewed publications [ie, published articles] and citations of these publications, impact indices) at COMs from 2006 through 2010 and to examine statistical associations between these measures and the amount of National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funds awarded to COMs in 2006 and 2010. A customized, systematic search of the Web of Science database was used to obtain bibliometric measures for 28 COMs. For the analyses, the bibliometric measures were summed or averaged over a 5-year period (2006 through 2010). The NIH database was used to obtain the amount of NIH funds for research grants and contracts received by the 28 COMs. Bivariate and multivariate statistical procedures were used to explore relationships between bibliometric measures and NIH funding amounts. The COMs with 2010 NIH funding, compared with COMs without NIH funding, had greater numbers of publications and citations and higher yearly average impact indices. Funding from the NIH in 2006 and 2010 was positively and significantly correlated with the numbers of publications, citations, and citations per publication and impact indices. The regression analysis indicated that 63.2% and 38.5% of the total variance in 2010 NIH funding explained by the model (adjusted R(2)=0.74) was accounted for by 2006 NIH funding and the combined bibliometric (ie, publications plus citations), respectively. Greater scholarly output leads to the procurement of more NIH funds for research at COMs.

Identification of distinctive characteristics, principles, and practices of the osteopathic physician in the current health care system

ObjectiveThe osteopathic medical profession traditionally has distinct attributes. The purpose of this study is to identify current perceptions among osteopathic medical students, residents, and practicing physicians (teaching and nonteaching) to gauge the dynamics and perspectives of the distinctive characteristics, practices, and principles of the osteopathic medical profession. MethodsThe study used qualitative and quantitative methods sequentially in two phases, respectively. Osteopathic medical students, residents, and practicing physicians were drawn from the Western, Rocky Mountain, and Ohio Valley geographic regions. The qualitative phase used a series of focus group discussions from which themes were derived that informed writing of questions for a pilot questionnaire administered and analyzed for the quantitative phase. Item analyses, factor analyses, and multivariate analysis of variance were used. ResultsFocus groups showed that osteopathic distinctiveness is characterized chiefly by a holistic patient-centered approach, the use of alternative treatments to medications, training in osteopathic manipulation, and additional training in anatomy during medical school. A 38-question survey instrument was obtained. Factor analyses of this initial 38-question instrument yielded a 15-item three-factor solution that characterizes traditional attributes (excluding primary care emphasis), research as future direction, and perceived importance as constituents of osteopathic distinctiveness. ConclusionsOsteopathic distinctiveness perceptions are evolving from exclusive emphasis on primary care to broader traditional norms because of probable generational shifts in the profession. These changing dynamics should be considered in curricula development and policy along the entire continuum of osteopathic medical education by leadership of the profession.

Lymphatic pump treatment enhances the lymphatic and immune systems

The osteopathic medical profession has long advocated the use of osteopathic lymphatic pump treatments (LPT) to improve lymphatic circulation, reduce edema and combat infectious disease. However, until recently, there was no scientific evidence that LPT enhances function of the lymphatic and immune systems. This review discusses the physiological functions of the lymphatic system, the ability of LPT to increase lymph flow under normal and experimental conditions, the clinical benefits of LPT, current research models for the study of LPT and the potential mechanisms by which LPT enhances lymphatic and immune function.

Osteopathic approach to implementing and promoting interprofessional education.

Multidisciplinary fragmentation contributes to myriad medical errors and as many as 98,000 patient deaths per year. The Institute of Medicine has proposed steps to improve healthcare delivery, including providing more opportunities for interdisciplinary training. The authors describe the interprofessional education (IPE) program at Western University of Health Sciences (WesternU) in Pomona, California. In 2007, 9 colleges at WesternU-including the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific-undertook an IPE initiative that resulted in creation of a 3-phase program. Part of the IPE development process involved identifying core competencies that were nontechnical and nonclinical and common to all healthcare professions. The IPE development and implementation process and the identified competencies were analyzed for their relationship to the tenets of osteopathic medicine and the core competencies of osteopathic medical education. Although these tenets and core competencies were not intentionally used in the development process of the WesternU IPE program, the analysis revealed that the major components of the program are congruent with the framework of osteopathic principles and practice. The osteopathic medical profession's founding principles, broad-based perspective, and health-promoting tenets put the profession in a position to emerge as one of the leading forces in IPE.