Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
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Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 2004; 9: 35
The aim of the study was to survey the attitudes of osteopaths in the UK towards research following self-regulation by statute and the recent establishment of the National Council for Osteopathic Research by the General Osteopathic Council.
We designed a questionnaire drawing on a previously used instrument (Metcalfe et al. 2000) and added additional scales to measure respondents’ attitudes to research in their career and current priorities for research in osteopathy. The instrument was piloted regionally and with an expert panel. The final questionnaire was posted to all osteopaths in the UK (n = 3019), with one postal follow-up to non-responders. Data were explored with descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS.
Our response rate was acceptable at 48%. Findings from the analysis will be presented. These will summarise attitudes, identify priorities and describe relationships between demographic variables, experience of research and desire to make research part of the osteopaths’ career. Associations between perceived barriers and anticipated methods of developing research skills will also be presented.
The study provides a representative survey of attitudes to research and related professional issues from UK osteopaths. It provides an opportunity to inform an agenda for research and the development of a research infrastructure in the UK as well as engaging the osteopathic profession in the wider healthcare debate regarding the relationship between research, evidence and patient care.
