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Research to promote effective regulation

  • Exploring and explaining the dynamics of osteopathic regulation, professionalism and compliance with standards in practice, commissioned by the GOsC, seeks to identify the regulatory activities that best support patient safety and enhancement of quality of care.

This research establishes an important evidence base on which to build effective osteopathic regulation and identify where improvements are needed.

The research reports were published in February 2015.

Documents to download

Background

An independent team of academic researchers, led by Professor Gerry McGivern at Warwick Business School, conducted the research among osteopaths, patients and osteopathic organisations in order to explore the factors that support, encourage or inhibit osteopaths from practising in accordance with the Osteopathic Practice Standards.

Research objectives

To identify:

  • regulatory activities which best support osteopaths to deliver care and practice in accordance with the Osteopathic Practice Standards.
  • factors which may inhibit osteopaths from practising in accordance with the Osteopathic Practice Standards.  
  • factors encouraging osteopaths to practice in accordance with the Osteopathic Practice Standards.

To develop a research informed continuing professional development scheme providing assurance of continuing fitness to practise

The research

The research, carried out in 2014, included literature reviews, an online survey (completed by 809 osteopaths, 17% of registered osteopaths), semi-structured interviews with 55 people (including 37 osteopaths) involved in and affected by osteopathic regulation, as well as health professional regulation more generally.

The research team

The research team included:

  •     Professor Gerry McGivern (Warwick Business School)
  •     Dr Michael Fischer (University of Melbourne and Saïd Business School,
         University of Oxford)
  •     Dr Tomas Palaima (University of Warwick)
  •     Ms Zoey Spendlove (University of Nottingham)
  •     Dr Oliver Thomson (British School of Osteopathy)
  •     Professor Justin Waring (University of Nottingham)