Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine Practice Patterns of Third-Year and Fourth-Year Osteopathic Medical Students: An Educational Research Project. 2020

Karen T Snider, and Rachel Couch, and Shalini Bhatia

BACKGROUND Colleges of osteopathic medicine (COMs) are required to provide hands-on osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) training during clerkship years, but this can be challenging given that students are in a variety of clinical sites and often train with allopathic physicians. OBJECTIVE To identify student OMM practice patterns documented on required OMM practice logs detailing 10 OMM treatments each semester as part of a 3-semester third- and fourth-year clerkship curriculum and to determine whether these practice patterns varied by supervisor type (osteopathic vs allopathic) and semester. METHODS The OMM practice logs from 2 class years were retrospectively reviewed for patient and supervisor characteristics and OMM treatment details. Semesters included 2 third-year semesters and an extended fourth-year semester. RESULTS Between July 2015 and March 2018, 1018 OMM practice logs were submitted detailing 10,150 treatments involving 4655 clinical (45.9%) and 5474 volunteer (53.9%) patients. Logs contained up to 10 treatments per log; 26.0% included only clinical patients, 17.4% included only volunteer patients, and 56.6% included both. Significantly more clinical patients (1708 [36.7%]) were treated during the first semester of the third year than the other 2 semesters (P<.001). The supervisor's credentials were identified as an osteopathic physician for 6639 treatments (65.4%) and an allopathic physician for 768 (7.6%). No difference was found in the proportion of clinical to volunteer patients supervised by osteopathic or allopathic physicians (P=.34). Neuromusculoskeletal complaints accounted for 10,847 (90.7%) chief complaints, and nonneuromusculoskeletal complaints accounted for 1115 (9.3%). The most commonly treated body regions were the thoracic (6255 [61.4%]), cervical (4932 [48.4%]), and lumbar (4249 [41.7%]). More body regions were treated on clinical patients than on volunteer patients (mean, 2.7 vs 2.6, respectively; P=.04). Commonly used techniques were muscle energy (6570 [64.5%]); high-velocity, low-amplitude (4054 [39.8%]); soft tissue (3615 [35.5%]); balanced ligamentous tension/indirect techniques (2700 [26.5%]); and myofascial release (1944 [19.2%]). CONCLUSIONS More than 80% of students documented OMM practice on clinical patients for their required OMM practice logs. Both osteopathic and allopathic physicians provided supervision. Chief complaints and types of osteopathic manipulative treatment used were consistent with current clinical practice. Areas identified for enhanced didactic education included OMM for nonneuromusculoskeletal complaints.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D010021 Osteopathic Medicine A medical discipline that is based on the philosophy that all body systems are interrelated and dependent upon one another for good health. This philosophy, developed in 1874 by Dr. Andrew Taylor Still, recognizes the concept of "wellness" and the importance of treating illness within the context of the whole body. Special attention is placed on the MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM. Medicine, Osteopathic,Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine,Manipulative Medicine, Osteopathic,Medicine, Osteopathic Manipulative
D011795 Surveys and Questionnaires Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions. Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012189 Retrospective Studies Studies used to test etiologic hypotheses in which inferences about an exposure to putative causal factors are derived from data relating to characteristics of persons under study or to events or experiences in their past. The essential feature is that some of the persons under study have the disease or outcome of interest and their characteristics are compared with those of unaffected persons. Retrospective Study,Studies, Retrospective,Study, Retrospective
D013337 Students, Medical Individuals enrolled in a school of medicine or a formal educational program in medicine. Medical Student,Medical Students,Student, Medical
D055360 Osteopathic Physicians Licensed physicians trained in OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE. An osteopathic physician, also known as D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathy), is able to perform surgery and prescribe medications. Osteopaths,Doctor of Osteopathy,Osteopath,Osteopathic Physician,Osteopathy Doctor,Osteopathy Doctors,Physician, Osteopathic,Physicians, Osteopathic
D026301 Manipulation, Osteopathic Musculoskeletal manipulation based on the principles of OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE developed in 1874 by Dr Andrew Taylor Still. Osteopathic Manipulation,Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment,Osteopathic Manipulative Treatments,Treatment, Osteopathic Manipulative,Treatments, Osteopathic Manipulative

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