Exploring New Patient Understanding of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine using a Cross-Sectional Survey and Mixed...

Area of Science:

• Osteopathic Medicine
• Musculoskeletal Disorders
• Patient Education

Background:

• Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) is under-utilized for musculoskeletal disorders.
• Lack of familiarity with OMM impacts patient-physician communication and patient-centered care.
• This study investigated new patient understanding of OMM at the MSU OMM Clinic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate new patient understanding of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM).
• To assess patient awareness of OMM's role in care, referral processes, and services offered.
• To identify potential barriers to OMM utilization.

Main Methods:

• A survey of 18 questions was administered to new adult patients at the MSU OMM Clinic.
• The survey aimed to ascertain patient understanding of OMM, its applications, and referral pathways.
• Data was collected from a convenience sample of 83 new patients.

Main Results:

• Only 9.64% of respondents had prior experience with OMM.
• A majority of patients (80.7%) presented with back pain.
• Referrals from non-primary care providers, particularly Advanced Practice Providers (APPs), were low (3.66% from PAs, 7.96% from NPs).
• Most patients (73.5%) were referred by their primary care providers.

Conclusions:

• Enhanced communication regarding OMM services is needed for non-DO physicians, APPs, and patients.
• OMM can offer non-invasive symptomatic treatment options for musculoskeletal conditions.
• Further research on non-DO provider and patient perceptions of OMM is warranted.