Osteopathy Referrals to and from General Practitioners: Secondary Analysis of Practitioner Characteristics from an Australian Practice-Based Research Network

Brett Vaughan; Michael Fleischmann; Sandra Grace; Roger Engel; Kylie Fitzgerald; Amie Steel; Wenbo Peng; Jon Adams

doi:10.3390/healthcare12010048

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Osteopathy Referrals to and from General Practitioners: Secondary Analysis of Practitioner Characteristics from an Australian Practice-Based Research Network

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Osteopathy Referrals to and from General Practitioners: Secondary Analysis of Practitioner Characteristics from an Australian Practice-Based Research Network

Brett Vaughan, Michael Fleischmann, Sandra Grace, Roger Engel, Kylie Fitzgerald, Amie Steel, Wenbo Peng and Jon Adams

Healthcare (Basel), Vol.12(1), 48

25/12/2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12010048

Appears in Recent Faculty of Health Publications

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Abstract

allied health occupations

general practice

health workforce

musculoskeletal pain

osteopathic medicine

primary health care

referral

consultation

Australian osteopaths engage in multidisciplinary care and referrals with other health professionals, including general practitioners (GPs), for musculoskeletal care. This secondary analysis compared characteristics of Australian osteopaths who refer to, and receive referrals from, GPs with osteopaths who do not refer. The analysis was undertaken to identify pertinent characteristics that could contribute to greater engagement between Australian osteopaths and GPs. Data were from the Australian osteopathy practice-based research network comprising responses from 992 osteopaths (48.1% response rate). Osteopaths completed a practice-based survey exploring their demographic, practice, and clinical management characteristics. Backward logistic regression identified significant characteristics associated with referrals. Osteopaths who reported sending referrals (n = 878, 88.5%) to GPs were more likely than their non-referring colleagues to receive referrals from GPs (aOR = 4.80, 95% CI [2.62–8.82]), send referrals to a podiatrist (aOR = 3.09, 95% CI [1.80–5.28]) and/or treat patients experiencing degenerative spinal complaints (aOR = 1.71, 95% CI [1.01–2.91]). Osteopaths reporting receiving referrals (n = 886, 89.3%) from GPs were more likely than their non-referring colleagues to send referrals to GPs (aOR = 4.62, 95% CI [2.48–8.63]) and use the Medicare EasyClaim system (aOR = 4.66, 95% CI [2.34–9.27]). Most Australian osteopaths who report engaging in referrals with GPs for patient care also refer to other health professionals. Referrals from GPs are likely through the Chronic Disease Management scheme. The clinical conditions resulting in referrals are unknown. Further research could explore the GP–osteopath referral network to strengthen collaborative musculoskeletal care. The outcomes of this study have the potential to inform Australian osteopaths participating in advocacy, public policy and engagement with Australian GPs.

Details

Title: Osteopathy Referrals to and from General Practitioners: Secondary Analysis of Practitioner Characteristics from an Australian Practice-Based Research Network
Creators: Brett Vaughan - University of Melbourne
Michael Fleischmann - University of Technology Sydney
Sandra Grace - Southern Cross University
Roger Engel - Southern Cross University
Kylie Fitzgerald - University of Melbourne
Amie Steel - University of Technology Sydney
Wenbo Peng - University of Technology Sydney
Jon Adams - University of Technology Sydney
Publication Details: Healthcare (Basel), Vol.12(1), 48
Publisher: MDPI
Grant note: Funding was received from Osteopathy Australia to establish the Osteopathy Research and Innovation Network (ORION), a practice-based research network for the Australian osteopathy profession.
Identifiers: 991013157310602368
Copyright: © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Academic Unit: National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine; Allied Health and Midwifery; Faculty of Health
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

Osteopathy Referrals to and from General Practitioners: Secondary Analysis of Practitioner Characteristics from an Australian Practice-Based Research Network

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Abstract

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