Unpublished MSc thesis, Wiener Schule für Osteopathie, 2009/02, 64, type of study: ,qs,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Free full text   (https://www.osteopathicresearch.org/s/orw/item/2959)

Keywords:

intervals of treatment [1]
osteopathic manipulative treatment [3945]
OMT [3924]
WSO [508]
qualitative study [290]

Abstract:

This study examines according to which criteria and on the basis of which concepts osteopaths decide when to make follow-up appointments for the patients’ next treatments. It is the aim to make transparent on which basis the decision about the interval until the follow-up treatment is taken. This should help the author in her daily work to make thorough decisions and to optimise intervals of treatment. With regard to the recognition of osteopathy as a profession in its own right in Austria this study should supply a basis for argumentation toward social insurance agencies. To this aim, eight problem-centred interviews based on guidelines are conducted and evaluated on the basis of a qualitative content analysis (Mayring 1996). The interview partners’ statements are assigned to categories and subsequently interpreted and put in relation with literature. Results: The point in time for a follow-up treatment has to be decided individually from patient to patient. The follow-up treatment should only be applied when the reaction to the previous treatment has been completed and the patient has reached a state of homeostasis again. To determine the interval of treatment osteopaths use their knowledge of sets of symptoms and diagnoses, constitution and psyche, palpatory information, the patients’ verbal information, expertise as well as their therapeutic experiences, which they balance off individually. The statements may be seen as the starting point for further research. Choosing an approach of an explorative study makes it possible to have ample discussion on the subject, which has brought to light many aspects. We may, however, criticise the fact that due to this variety of aspects a more thorough discussion and confrontation with literature has not really been conducted in some places.