Clinical reasoning in osteopathy – More than just principles?

Clinical reasoning is an integral part of clinical practice, and importantly for osteopaths, encompasses more than just the formulation of a diagnosis. With the advent of evidence-based practice health professionals are required to make explicit the strategies behind their clinical decisions. With many other health professions taking a critical view of their models of practice, there is an equal requirement for the osteopathic profession to reflect on and improve the transparency of clinical practice models used in osteopathy. This paper discusses the role of clinical reasoning in professional practice and the existing research in a number of health professions. It considers the need of such research in the osteopathic profession, and goes on to outline the methods by which clinical reasoning can be made visible through research.