Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine Consultations for Hospitalized Patients.

Area of Science:

• Osteopathic manipulative medicine
• Hospital medicine
• Patient care management

Background:

• Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) is recognized for musculoskeletal pain relief.
• Studies indicate OMT benefits hospitalized patients with diverse conditions, including pneumonia and recovery from surgery or childbirth.
• OMT has shown positive outcomes in preterm newborns and those with feeding difficulties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the primary reasons for osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) consultations in a tertiary care hospital.
• To assess the utilization patterns of OMM in an inpatient academic medical setting.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive, retrospective study analyzed OMM consultation data from January 1, 2015, to June 30, 2015.
• Data from an academic medical center's electronic health record system were reviewed.
• Reasons for consultation, patient demographics, and location were categorized by a single reviewer.

Main Results:

• Musculoskeletal complaints accounted for 47.0% of OMM consultations, with back pain being the most common (18.0%).
• Newborn feeding difficulties represented 27.0% of consultations.
• Other significant reasons included general discomfort (7.0%), respiratory issues (4.0%), postoperative recovery (16.0%), and postpartum care (9.5%).

Conclusions:

• The majority of inpatient OMM consultations are for musculoskeletal issues and newborn feeding problems.
• Physician awareness of OMT's potential benefits for conditions like respiratory disorders, postoperative recovery, and constipation appears limited.
• There is a significant opportunity to increase OMM consultations to reduce patient morbidity.