Patient perception of osteopathic training in the UK and patient reported experience

BackgroundOsteopathy is a recent addition to the modern day healthcare community. The majority of patients attending osteopathic practices in the United Kingdom are self funders, and studies have reported a high rate of satisfaction in patients receiving osteopathic treatment.ObjectiveThis study aimed to determine patient perception of osteopathic education and relate that to patient reported experience.MethodThe study was conducted through newspapers, GP surgeries and osteopathic clinics. A questionnaire was either completed on-line or a paper copy was returned to the investigator.ResultsOver seven hundred people respondent though for this part of the study 202 were excluded either because they reported both good and bad experiences or did not complete the section on osteopathic education. Similar to other studies this current study reported that the majority of respondents reported a good experience (88.7%). However, there was no statistical significance demonstrated for any of the patient demographics or for the respondents perception of osteopathic education and experience.Discussion and conclusionFurther work is required to assess what patients require for a ‘good’ experience and what osteopathic patients determine as key competencies required in an osteopath.