UK cranial and paediatric post-graduate development of skills is well established, using diplomas, modular pathways and short courses. Unfortunately few post-graduate cranial or paediatric osteopaths go on to publish, despite undertaking courses that include research skills. Fawke’s 2011 presentation at ICA and NCOR’s OCF research summary show a paucity of RCT’s, cohort studies, case studies or series.

Teaching undergraduates research methodology has made little impact on post-graduate professional research. Encouraging post-graduate research publication is challenging, with MSc and other qualifications having little effect on publication rate of OCF papers (13 to date in IJOM since 2005). UK post-graduate modular courses or diplomas in OCF or paediatrics cost in excess of £6000 and take at least two years, requiring considerable commitment. Despite this, dedicated sub-groups of UK osteopaths using cranial techniques rarely publish and their associations do not reference what little evidence there is. The Sutherland Society has not updated research references since1999, the FPO website has no references, the SCC site makes only two references to published research.

This presentation will propose a solution to the challenge of engendering research culture in UK post-graduate cranial osteopaths. Drawing on experience of post-graduate osteopathic education and other medical fields, a potential future model for European post-graduate osteopathic research will be suggested. “Post market surveillance” is compulsory in the medical device and pharmaceutical industries. This may become compulsory eventually for us. Could OSEAN adopt and shape this model for the benefit of Osteopathy?

UK cranial and paediatric post-graduate development of skills is well established, using diplomas, modular pathways and short courses. Unfortunately few post-graduate cranial or paediatric osteopaths go on to publish, despite undertaking courses that include research skills. Fawke’s 2011 presentation at ICA and NCOR’s OCF research summary show a paucity of RCT’s, cohort studies, case studies or series.

Teaching undergraduates research methodology has made little impact on post-graduate professional research. Encouraging post-graduate research publication is challenging, with MSc and other qualifications having little effect on publication rate of OCF papers (13 to date in IJOM since 2005). UK post-graduate modular courses or diplomas in OCF or paediatrics cost in excess of £6000 and take at least two years, requiring considerable commitment. Despite this, dedicated sub-groups of UK osteopaths using cranial techniques rarely publish and their associations do not reference what little evidence there is. The Sutherland Society has not updated research references since1999, the FPO website has no references, the SCC site makes only two references to published research.

This presentation will propose a solution to the challenge of engendering research culture in UK post-graduate cranial osteopaths. Drawing on experience of post-graduate osteopathic education and other medical fields, a potential future model for European post-graduate osteopathic research will be suggested. “Post market surveillance” is compulsory in the medical device and pharmaceutical industries. This may become compulsory eventually for us. Could OSEAN adopt and shape this model for the benefit of Osteopathy?