Somatic dysfunction and use of osteopathic manual treatment techniques during ambulatory medical care visits: a CONCORD-PBRN study.
BACKGROUND
Osteopathic manual treatment (OMT) of somatic dysfunction is a unique approach to medical care that may be studied within a practice-based research network.


OBJECTIVE
To measure patient characteristics and osteopathic physician practice patterns within the Consortium for Collaborative Osteopathic Research Development-Practice-Based Research Network (CONCORD-PBRN).


METHODS
Cross-sectional card study.


METHODS
Eleven member clinics within the CONCORD-PBRN coordinated by The Osteopathic Research Center.


METHODS
A total of 668 patients seen between January and March 2013.


METHODS
Patient age and sex; primary diagnoses; somatic dysfunction as manifested by tenderness, asymmetry, restricted motion, or tissue texture changes; and use of 14 OMT techniques. Results were stratified by anatomical region and adjusted for clustering within member clinics. Clustering was measured by the intracluster correlation coefficient.


RESULTS
Patient ages ranged from 7 days to 87 years (adjusted mean age, 49.2 years; 95% confidence interval [CI], 43.3-55.1 years). There were 450 females (67.4%) and 508 patient visits (76.0%) involved a primary diagnosis of disease of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue. Structural examination was performed during 657 patient visits (98.4%), and 649 visits (97.2%) involved OMT. Restricted motion and tenderness were the most and least common palpatory findings, respectively. Cranial (1070 [14.5%]), myofascial release (1009 [13.7%]), muscle energy (1001 [13.6%]), and counterstrain (980 [13.3%]) techniques were most commonly used, accounting for more than one-half of the OMT provided. Pediatric patients were more likely than adults to receive OMT within the head (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 9.53; 95% CI, 1.28-71.14). Geriatric patients were more likely than adults to receive a structural examination (adjusted OR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.09-3.07) and OMT (adjusted OR, 1.62; 1.02-2.59) within the lower extremity. Females were more likely than males to receive a structural examination (adjusted OR, 2.44; 95% CI, 1.44-4.16) and OMT (adjusted OR, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.26-3.52) within the sacrum and OMT within the pelvis (adjusted OR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.12-2.88). Intracluster correlation coefficients for the 4 most commonly used OMT techniques ranged from 0.34 to 0.72.


CONCLUSIONS
This study provides proof of concept of the feasibility of studying osteopathic medical practice on a national level by developing and growing the CONCORD-PBRN.
The Osteopathic Research Center, University of North Texas Health Science Center Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, TX 76107-2644. john.licciardone@unthsc.edu.
John C
JC
Licciardone
Cathleen M
CM
Kearns
Hollis H
HH
King
Michael A
MA
Seffinger
W Thomas
WT
Crow
Peter
P
Zajac
William H
WH
Devine
Reem Y
RY
Abu-Sbaih
Stephen J
SJ
Miller
Murray R
MR
Berkowitz
Robin
R
Dyer
Deborah M
DM
Heath
Kevin D
KD
Treffer
Natalie A
NA
Nevins
Subhash
S
Aryal
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D026201:Musculoskeletal Manipulations / Q000379:methods*; D009819:Office Visits; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult