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Research Article
Demographic, Practice and Clinical Management Characteristics of Osteopaths Referring to, and Receiving Referrals from, Podiatrists: Secondary Analysis of a Nationally Representative Sample of Australian Osteopaths.
Michael Fleischmann
Victoria University
Corresponding Author
License:
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Background
Interprofessional care is paramount in contemporary healthcare practice. How different professions interact, and the characteristics of those practitioners who practice in an interprofessional way are rarely described in the literature. The aim of the current work was to identify the demographic, practice and clinical management characteristics of Australian osteopaths who report referring to, and receiving referrals from, podiatrists
Methods
The study was a secondary analysis of data from the Osteopathy Research and Innovation Network (ORION). Inferential statistics were generated to identify statistically significant demographic, practice and clinical management characteristics associated with referrals. Significant characteristics were then entered into a backward logistic regression model.
Results
Nine-hundred and ninety-two Australian osteopaths responded to the questionnaire. Sending referrals to a podiatrist was reported by 651 participants (65.6%) and receiving referrals from a podiatrist by 471 participants (47.5%). Australian osteopaths who reported referring to podiatrists were more likely to report receiving referrals from podiatrists (ORadj 10.82) and use diagnostic imaging (ORadj 9.87). Receiving referrals from a podiatrist was associated with sending referrals to a podiatrist (ORadj 10.04) and also being co-located with a podiatrist (ORadj 2.02).
Conclusion
This study provides initial evidence for the referral relationship between Australian osteopaths and podiatrists. Further work is now required to understand the nature of these referrals, including the complaints resulting in referral and outcomes of care. This information will be invaluable to those involved in health policy development and the professions advocating for their role in the wider healthcare system.
Keywords
Interprofessional care, healthcare , podiatrists , osteopaths
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CURRENT STATUS: Under Review
Version 1
Posted 13 Jan, 2021
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Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 12 Jan, 2021
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On 12 Jan, 2021
Editor invited
On 10 Jan, 2021
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This preprint is under consideration at BMC Health Services Research. A preprint is a preliminary version of a manuscript that has not completed peer review at a journal. Research Square does not conduct peer review prior to posting preprints. The posting of a preprint on this server should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its validity or suitability for dissemination as established information or for guiding clinical practice.
Learn more about In Review
Research Article
Demographic, Practice and Clinical Management Characteristics of Osteopaths Referring to, and Receiving Referrals from, Podiatrists: Secondary Analysis of a Nationally Representative Sample of Australian Osteopaths.
Michael Fleischmann
Victoria University
Corresponding Author
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
Peer Review Timeline
CURRENT STATUS: Under Review
Version 1
Posted 13 Jan, 2021
No community comments so far
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 12 Jan, 2021
Editor assigned
On 12 Jan, 2021
Editor invited
On 10 Jan, 2021
Submission checks complete
On 10 Jan, 2021
First submitted
On 22 Dec, 2020
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
Background
Interprofessional care is paramount in contemporary healthcare practice. How different professions interact, and the characteristics of those practitioners who practice in an interprofessional way are rarely described in the literature. The aim of the current work was to identify the demographic, practice and clinical management characteristics of Australian osteopaths who report referring to, and receiving referrals from, podiatrists
Methods
The study was a secondary analysis of data from the Osteopathy Research and Innovation Network (ORION). Inferential statistics were generated to identify statistically significant demographic, practice and clinical management characteristics associated with referrals. Significant characteristics were then entered into a backward logistic regression model.
Results
Nine-hundred and ninety-two Australian osteopaths responded to the questionnaire. Sending referrals to a podiatrist was reported by 651 participants (65.6%) and receiving referrals from a podiatrist by 471 participants (47.5%). Australian osteopaths who reported referring to podiatrists were more likely to report receiving referrals from podiatrists (ORadj 10.82) and use diagnostic imaging (ORadj 9.87). Receiving referrals from a podiatrist was associated with sending referrals to a podiatrist (ORadj 10.04) and also being co-located with a podiatrist (ORadj 2.02).
Conclusion
This study provides initial evidence for the referral relationship between Australian osteopaths and podiatrists. Further work is now required to understand the nature of these referrals, including the complaints resulting in referral and outcomes of care. This information will be invaluable to those involved in health policy development and the professions advocating for their role in the wider healthcare system.