Helping osteopaths to use artificial intelligence safely

Scrolling through the news online, it’s hard not to notice and be amazed at the progress that is happening in the world of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

From AI advancements in robotics to aid genomic research, to its use in reducing administrative burdens, as well as the scale at which AI is being integrated into our daily lives - whether that be voice assistants or interactions with customer service chatbots, or even the use of facial recognition software that we use to unlock our mobile phones.

This also extends to healthcare, where AI is increasingly being used by a workforce that is under strain. Recently, the UK government stressed the importance of AI within their 10 Year Health Plan for England.

Using AI in osteopathy

So where does this leave osteopathy? Whilst the hands-on nature of osteopathic practice may not immediately lend itself to the use of AI, we know there are some osteopaths that are already using it to help with administrative processes, such as taking patient notes or drafting referral letters.

Thinking outside the box, it’s not hard to picture a future world where osteopaths could, for example, use data from a patient’s health tracking watch or device along with AI to supply detailed reports of a patient’s movement, supporting the osteopath to provide more targeted osteopathic treatments.

As a regulator, while ensuring protection of the public and the reputation of the osteopathic profession, we want to ensure that osteopaths feel supported in their practice and are clear on their responsibilities when using new technologies. So while some may not be using it at the moment, they may do so in the future.

Guidance for osteopaths

This is why we decided to step into this space and issue guidance on the use of artificial intelligence in osteopathic practice. We also know that professionals in other healthcare sectors are calling for more input from regulators to help create clarity, certainty and confidence for those choosing to use AI, so we wanted to give osteopaths the guidance they might need.

We know that this is a challenging area, the technology is advancing rapidly and we cannot predict the impact that AI is going to have on osteopathic practice in the future. But in an uncertain world, there is still certainty in the values, behaviours and standards that we expect all osteopaths to follow and these are set out in the Osteopathic Practice Standards (OPS).

In developing our AI guidance, we wanted to make sure there is still space for innovation, which is why we want to be clear that this guidance does not go further than the remit of the OPS. Osteopaths should be enabled to make the most of the opportunities that AI brings if they wish to do so, whilst also making sure they work within our standards and guidance and keep patients safe.

We expect to make changes to this guidance over time and this is why we have issued this as interim guidance. We welcome your feedback and suggestions on how it can be improved, if there is anything that is missing or how we can better support osteopaths in this area.

We’d also like to hear from you if you are using AI and to understand how you are using it. You can contact us at standards@osteopathy.org.uk.

Read our guidance on using artificial intelligence in osteopathy.