Setting the foundations for a European scale collaboration between the schools of the Osteopathic European Academic Network (OsEAN) for the collection of data on the impact of an osteopathic treatment on patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Object

Titel

Setting the foundations for a European scale collaboration between
the schools of the Osteopathic European Academic Network (OsEAN)
for the collection of data on the impact of an osteopathic treatment on patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Author(s)

B. Kraijo, E. van Dam

Abstract

Background
Numerous articles point the necessity for more results to be obtained on the effects of osteopathy. To obtain a greater amount of patients participating in a study, a collaboration between OsEAN schools seems a valuable option. Osteopathy is now taught across the world, but each school has different teaching and learning strategies that may influence the practice of students in different ways.

Objective
Evaluate the possibilities for collaboration between OsEAN schools. Obtain an understanding of how the different schools function, regarding curricula and philosophy and point out considerations to be made concerning data collection on IBS.

Method
Thanks to email and online meetings, we contacted 24 members of the network. Using semi-structured interviews, we interviewed people in different positions at the school (head of research, director, teachers).

Results
Within the 24 schools contacted, we performed interviews with 13 who were really enthusiastic. Five answered a first time but never responded again. We could not get in contact with 3 and one was not interested into participating.
The curriculum varied from the teaching of a specific body region per semester/year, to a whole-body approach and getting more detailed each year.
The variability in overall vision appeared clearly in the way the clinic was set up. With some school starting observation as early as the first year (FBEO Spain, SSOI Torino, EDUCAM Torino) or second year (AIMO Italy, CSO France), one chose to encourage external observational internship (CS Netherland) and one was limited by economic constraints (CAO Croatia). The way the appointment takes place varied a lot and is an expression of the philosophy of the school.

Conclusion
Most of the schools of the OsEAN we contacted were really excited about participating in this big scale study. We have a great list of persons to contact and have an understanding of how the different schools work. Knowing the course of a consultation and the approach of the set-up of a diagnosis and treatment plan is a great tool as this parameter can have impact on the treatment. More steps need to be taken before launching the collection of data with this form of collaboration.

Date Created

December 2022

Type

Afstudeeropdracht Research Plan CS

number of pages

102