Doctor of osteopathic medicine: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia

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A doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO) is a physician licensed to practice medicine, perform surgery, and prescribe medicine.

Like all allopathic physicians (or MDs), osteopathic physicians complete 4 years of medical school and can choose to practice in any specialty of medicine. However, osteopathic physicians receive an additional 300 to 500 hours in the study of hands-on manual medicine and the body’s musculoskeletal system, called osteopathic manipulative therapy (OMT).

Osteopathic physicians hold to the principle that a patient’s history of illness and physical trauma are written into the body’s structure. The osteopathic physician’s highly developed sense of touch allows the physician to feel (palpate) the patient’s living anatomy (the flow of fluids, motion and texture of tissues, and structural makeup).

Like MDs, osteopathic physicians are licensed at the state level. Osteopathic physicians who wish to specialize may become board certified (in the same manner as MDs) by completing a 2- to 6-year residency within the specialty area, often side-by-side with MDs, and passing the same board certification exams as MDs.

DOs practice in all specialties of medicine, ranging from emergency medicine and cardiovascular surgery to psychiatry and geriatrics. Osteopathic doctors use the same medical and surgical treatments that are used by other medical doctors, but may also incorporate a holistic approach taught during their medical training and use OMT if indicated.

Osteopathic physician

• Osteopathic medicine

American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine website. What is osteopathic medicine? www.aacom.org/become-a-doctor/about-osteopathic-medicine. Accessed December 22, 2022.

Gevitz N. The “doctor of osteopathy”: expanding the scope of practice. J Am Osteopath Assoc. 2014;114(3):200-212. PMID: 24567273 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24567273/.

Stark J. A degree of difference: the origins of osteopathy and the first use of the “DO” designation. J Am Osteopath Assoc. 2014;114(8):615-617. PMID: 25082967 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25082967/.

Thomson OP, Petty NJ, Moore AP. A qualitative grounded theory study of the conceptions of clinical practice in osteopathy – a continuum from technical rationality to professional artistry. Man Ther. 2014;19(1):37-43. PMID: 23911356 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23911356/.

Updated by: Allen J. Blaivas, DO, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, VA New Jersey Health Care System, Clinical Assistant Professor, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, East Orange, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

What is a DO? | American Osteopathic Association

Patient care

Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine use a unique whole-person approach to help prevent illness and injury.

Accounting for approximately 11% of all physicians in the United States, Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine, or DOs, bring a unique, patient-centered approach to every specialty across the full spectrum of medicine. They are trained to listen and partner with their patients to help them get healthy and stay well.

DOs practice in all medical specialities, including primary care, pediatrics, OBGYN, emergency medicine, psychiatry and surgery. Moreover, DOs hold some of the most prominent positions in medicine today, including overseeing care for the President of the United States, the NASA medical team, Olympic athletes and many who serve in the uniformed services.

From their first days of medical school, DOs are trained to look beyond your symptoms to understand how lifestyle and environmental factors impact your well-being. They practice medicine according to the latest science and technology, but also consider options to complement pharmaceuticals and surgery.

As part of their education, DOs receive special training in the musculoskeletal system, your body’s interconnected system of nerves, muscles and bones. By combining this knowledge with the latest advances in medical technology, they offer patients the most comprehensive care available today.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is osteopathic medicine?

The osteopathic philosophy of medicine sees an interrelated unity in all systems of the body, with each working with the other to heal in times of illness.

Osteopathic medicine is practiced by Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine, or DOs, who bring a whole-person approach to care by focusing on looking beyond your symptoms to understand how lifestyle and environmental factors impact your wellbeing.

The profession is one of the fastest growing segments in health care today, with one out of every four medical students enrolled in an osteopathic medical school.

How are DOs educated and trained?

Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine, or DOs, complete four years of osteopathic medical school, with an emphasis on preventive medicine and comprehensive patient care.

They are trained to recognize the interrelated unity among all systems of the body, each working with the other to promote overall health and wellness.

Upon graduating from medical school, DOs complete internships, residencies and fellowships. This training lasts three to eight years and prepares them to become licensed and board-certified.

How are DOs licensed and certified?

Like all physicians in the U.S., Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine, or DOs, are licensed to practice medicine by licensing boards in each state. Requirements vary by state.

Typically, licensure requires successful completion of a medical licensing exam administered by the state licensing board or acceptance of a certificate issued by the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners upon completion of a rigorous series of exams.

The Federation of State Medical Boards provides a directory of state licensing boards that can be contacted for information regarding physician licensure.

DOs earn board certification when they achieve expertise in a medical specialty or subspecialty by meeting the requirements of a specialty certifying board. Physicians in the U.S. can become board certified through the American Osteopathic Association or the American Board of Medical Specialties. The board certification process involves a combination of written, practical and simulator-based tests.

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Can I go to the doctor for an online appointment for a prescription? Everything about telemedicine

During the pandemic, the demand for online doctor’s consultations has increased. How far has telemedicine advanced in Russia? What can and what can’t a doctor do online?

The law on telemedicine, which refers to any remote contact between a doctor and a patient or a doctor and a doctor, say, regarding the choice of treatment tactics, came into force in 2018. Rather, these were amendments to the law “On the Fundamentals of Protecting the Health of Citizens in the Russian Federation”. The document approved the concept of “telemedicine technologies” and the possibilities of their application. Due to the pandemic, the demand for online doctor’s consultations has increased several times – some clinics are talking about an increase of 300 But what medical services can and cannot be obtained on the Internet?0005

May:

• take history and decide whether face-to-face visits are required,
• adjust previous treatments,
• write prescriptions for drugs, but only if previously diagnosed in person,
• order additional examinations, 900 12
• decode analyzes.

Cannot:

• diagnose,
• prescribe treatment.

“Neither the diagnosis nor the stage of the disease can be established, even though some specific data will be provided, consisting of laboratory tests, computed tomography, and so on,” says Anton Ivanov, chief physician of the NACFF clinic. “Based on the results of an online consultation, we provide a conclusion. As a rule, it indicates what the patient needs to do: where and which doctor to contact. Also, no drugs and chemotherapy regimens, potent drugs are prescribed during an online consultation.”

This means that the patient will benefit more from an online consultation if it follows a face-to-face appointment.

“The initial online consultation, if it is carried out with a new patient who has not previously applied to the clinic in person, is exclusively advisory in nature for further diagnostic actions. According to the law, we cannot not only make a diagnosis, but also consider this consultation as medical”, — explains Yegor Safrygin, Director of Digital Transformation of the European Medical Center.

Yes, but subject to two conditions. “Firstly, the doctor must adjust the treatment according to the previously diagnosed diagnosis (that is, not in the case of an initial consultation, but when the patient has already been diagnosed in person, treatment is prescribed, including prescription drugs, – TASS note). The second is in the region, where a doctor writes a prescription, there should be a system for issuing electronic prescriptions signed with an enhanced qualified electronic signature of the doctor,” the press service of the SberHealth service told TASS.

For example, in Moscow doctors can write electronic prescriptions instead of paper ones. You can get prescribed medicines at the pharmacy by presenting the QR code of the prescription on the phone screen in the EMIAS.INFO app or in the patient’s personal account on mos.ru.

“In most cases, this works only when prescribing drugs that certain categories of citizens can receive free of charge or at a 50% discount. Both a medical organization and a pharmacy where the patient will receive the medicine should also be connected to such a system,” the “SberHealth”.

Prescription drugs, like subsidized drugs, require special forms, seals, and certified signatures from the attending physician and department head. It is more difficult to do this in a telemedicine environment. It happens that some clinics make it a rule not to issue prescriptions for online consultations.

“The law allows you to remotely renew an already issued electronic prescription. At the same time, both the doctor and the patient must have an electronic signature on the State Services portal. But in this way, it is usually impossible to renew the prescription in practice,” TASS was told in the service ” The doctor is near.

There are legal nuances.

According to the law, a medical organization must provide such online consultations through the Unified State Information System , that is, provided that the organization is identified in this system. “To participate in telemedicine, both doctors and patients must be identified through the Unified Identification and Authentication System (ESIA). Legislative changes have been expected for a long time, but so far registration through the ESIA is available only to medical institutions, and not to telemedicine operators. There are also requirements of the order of the Ministry of Health of 30 November 2017 No. 965 “On approval of the procedure for organizing and providing medical care using telemedicine technologies” in terms of data transfer, storage and protection (information security must be arranged in a certain way),” says Vsevolod Pogodin, head of the arimed.ru telemedicine service. According to him, due to such legal requirements, now most telemedicine services position themselves as advertising platforms that do not provide medical services.0005

The law does not establish a list of doctors who may or may not consult online. The main thing is that the online appointment is conducted by a doctor who has an EDS for signing electronic documents. But in some areas, where personal examination and medical manipulations are a key service, online consultations are unpopular, for example, dentistry. “We were looking for the possibility of introducing online consultations at the beginning of the pandemic, but we couldn’t. It’s possible to get a virtually detailed answer to questions of the nature of “how to restore a tooth”. But when it comes to symptoms and pain, online reception turns into “guess the melody,” — says Kirill Kostin, chief physician of the PerfectSmile Center for Aesthetic Dentistry, Cosmetology and Bone Regeneration.0005

Judging by the data of clinics, the most popular consultations are those of therapists and neurologists.

“In 2021, our structure of visits to doctors of narrow specialties has changed. According to the results of the first quarter of 2021, neurologists were in the lead. In the same period a year ago, people most often turned to obstetrician-gynecologists. In 2021, they rank third in terms of number “Gastroenterologists are in second place. We see an increase in remote calls to psychologists, they occupy the fourth position in the general list. Last year, consultations with a psychologist were not included in the top ten,” says Ekaterina Kuzina, medical director of the Doctor Nearby digital medical service.

“For June 2021, we can highlight the top 5 telemedicine specialties in the EMC. Among them are therapy, psychiatry, neurology, oncology, urology. In March-July 2020, the most popular areas for telemedicine consultations were psychiatry, general practice / therapy , endocrinology, oncology, neurology,” says Yegor Safrygin, European Medical Center (EMC).

There are pilot programs in some regions of Russia where telemedicine has been included in the CHI system. This does not work on the basis of city clinics, but through the Doctor Nearby service. Most of the online appointments with doctors are conducted in private clinics. Russians have the following opportunities in the field of public medicine:

• an appointment with a doctor (not all, but most specialists are available) online through the State Services,
• a doctor’s house call (in large cities) also through the State Services.

Yes, there are permanent and one-time opportunities for Russians to get online advice from various specialists.

Last year, Russian doctors launched the Cloud of Health service to help provide free, timely medical care to people left without the necessary professional attention during the pandemic. It is aimed at people with chronic heart disease and gynecological diseases. The consultations involve doctors from two clinics – the National Medical Research Center for Cardiovascular Surgery named after N.N. A.N. Bakulev and the medical center of obstetrics, gynecology and perinatology named after. Kulakov. Also last year, telemedicine services were launched in Russia with video consultations of doctors for patients with coronavirus who are being treated at home.

If the VHI policy includes telemedicine services, you can receive online consultations from doctors from clinics included in the system. You don’t have to pay extra for them.

Anastasia Akulova

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Conditions and procedure for the provision of free medical care to the children’s population within the framework of compulsory health insurance

The guaranteed volume and types of free medical care are provided to the population in accordance with the Territorial Program of State Guarantees of Free Provision of Free Medical Care to the Population of the Stavropol Territory. Patients, parents of children or their legal representatives have the right to choose a polyclinic and a doctor (with his consent) in accordance with Federal Law No. 326-FZ of November 29, 2010 “On Compulsory Medical Insurance in the Russian Federation”. According to the Territorial Program of State Guarantees of Free Medical Care for Citizens in the Stavropol Territory, the procedure for providing citizens with medicines for medical reasons is carried out in accordance with the standards of medical care, taking into account the types, conditions and forms of medical care. Prescribing and prescribing drugs are carried out in the manner approved by the order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation dated February 12, 2007 N110 “On the procedure for prescribing and prescribing drugs, medical products and specialized medical food products.” Providing citizens with medicines as part of a set of social services is carried out in the manner approved by the order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation dated 29. 12.2004 N 328 as amended. dated 03/01/2012 “On approval of the procedure for providing a set of social services to certain categories of citizens”. Patients receiving this medical care have the right to voluntarily consent to medical intervention or refuse it.

Regulatory legal acts governing the provision of medical care

The provision of Medical assistance is carried out in accordance with:

– the Constitution of the Russian Federation;

– Federal Law of October 21, 2011 No. 323-FZ “On the basics of protecting the health of citizens in the Russian Federation”;

– Federal Law of November 29, 2010 No. 326-FZ “On Compulsory Medical Insurance of Citizens in the Russian Federation”;

– Territorial program of state guarantees of free provision of medical care to the population of the Stavropol Territory.

Procedure for the provision of medical care

To receive medical assistance, a parent, legal representative or a child over 15 years of age must apply to the registry of a medical institution at the place of residence (or at the place of attachment) in person or by phone. At the specified time, a citizen who applied for medical care must appear for an appointment.

The result of the provision of medical care:

– provision of medical care in an outpatient setting in accordance with applicable law;

– provision of medical care at home in accordance with applicable law;

– provision of emergency care in cases that do not require urgent medical intervention,

– registration of honey. documentation,

– execution of accounting and reporting documentation (statistical), closing the case of applying for medical care (outpatient coupon f 025 12 \ y), certified by the signature of the local pediatrician or specialist, transferring the coupon to the information and statistics department for entering it into the register of medical services on inclusion in invoices provided to insurance companies for payment. District pediatricians and medical specialists are personally responsible for the correctness of filling out the coupon and the accuracy of the information provided in it.

Payment for medical care provided at the expense of compulsory medical insurance funds (hereinafter referred to as CHI funds) is carried out on a completed case of medical care.

A completed case of medical care is the volume of medical care limited by a time interval, as a result of which the planned result of a citizen’s appeal to a medical organization in the Stavropol Territory was achieved.

A completed case of medical care on an outpatient basis is medical care, including visits, laboratory and instrumental studies, examinations by doctors of various specialties, manipulations performed by a doctor and nursing staff, provided to a patient for the underlying and concomitant disease when the patient is referred to an outpatient clinic an institution or other medical organization of the Stavropol Territory to receive outpatient medical care in the amount determined by the standards of medical care.

Procedure and conditions for organizing appointments with doctors at the polyclinic

1. Patients are admitted upon presentation of an insurance policy or on the basis of a database of the insured population attached to the outpatient clinic and an identity document;

2. An appointment with a pediatrician is carried out during his working hours in the order of priority, an appointment with a specialist doctor is carried out during working hours by direct contacting the receptionist and by appointment via the Internet or an electronic terminal (“Infomat”) installed in the lobby.

3. For young children, the schedule provides for a “healthy child’s day” – Thursday, incl. for examinations under the Birth Certificate program.

According to the coupons issued through the infomat, the reception is carried out by specialists: an oculist, an otolaryngologist, a surgeon, an endocrinologist, a cardiologist. Coupons for a neurologist, functional diagnostics – at the head. pediatric wards for the coming week. Reception of children under one year old by a neurologist is carried out by appointment on Wednesdays from 7-30 (recording is made directly in the neurologist’s office).

4. Certain categories of citizens (children with disabilities, children of medical workers, children from large families, adopted and under guardianship), in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation, have the right to extraordinary medical care in medical organizations of the Stavropol Territory ..

5. It is allowed to have a queue during scheduled diagnostic and laboratory tests, and the waiting periods are determined by the administration of the medical organization and are reflected in contracts for the provision and payment of medical care under compulsory medical insurance.

6. The volume of diagnostic and therapeutic measures for a particular patient is determined by the attending physician in accordance with the procedures for providing medical care and standards of medical care approved in accordance with applicable law.

7. The referral of a patient for planned hospitalization is carried out by the attending physician in accordance with clinical indications requiring hospital treatment, active therapy and round-the-clock (daily) observation of the doctor. In the direction for planned hospitalization, the results of diagnostic studies that can be carried out on an outpatient basis are reflected. The direction is signed by the attending physician and the head of the department (deputy chief physician of the medical organization).

8. Drug treatment is carried out at the expense of the patient on the basis of standards of medical care and a list of vital drugs approved by the Territorial Program of State Guarantees of Free Medical Care for Citizens in the Stavropol Territory. Drug provision of certain categories of citizens entitled to free and reduced-price drug provision according to the list of vital and essential medicines and medical devices approved in accordance with applicable law.

9. Patients from other cities are provided with medical assistance in accordance with the order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation of February 28, 2011 N 158n “On Approval of the Rules for Compulsory Medical Insurance” and explanations to it.

Waiting periods for a consultation from the moment of referral to a consultant

Consultations of doctors-specialists of diagnostic and treatment services are provided at the initiative of the district pediatrician, who issues a referral to the patient for a consultation. In urgent cases, consultations are allowed at the initiative of the patient.

Consultations of medical specialists are provided to insured persons under compulsory medical insurance in medical specialties: pediatric cardiology, pediatric endocrinology, infectious diseases, neurology, otolaryngology, ophthalmology, gynecology, pediatric surgery, financed from the compulsory medical insurance system and from the funds of the state and municipal health systems

Waiting periods are determined by the administration of the medical institution and are reflected in contracts for the provision of outpatient care.

The waiting time for the provision of planned medical care should not exceed the following periods :

Medical specialist up to 14 days

The procedure for the provision of scheduled diagnostic laboratory tests, physiotherapy treatment.

Consultation requirements

Consultation requires a clear answer to the questions put to the consultant. For this task consultant:

– requires additional information and
necessary documents from the attending physician;

– organizes or conducts the necessary medical and diagnostic procedures and
examinations to establish a diagnosis;

– informs the patient about the further plan of diagnostic and treatment
activities and the procedure for its implementation;

– draws up medical documentation in accordance with established requirements;

– informs the attending physician about the further fate and tactics of the patient.

Outpatient medical care in the polyclinic is guaranteed on the day of treatment for acute illnesses. Waiting times for consultations may vary due to holidays and long sick leave sheets for medical specialists. Priority is allowed for scheduled diagnostic and laboratory tests. The time allotted for receiving a patient in a polyclinic is determined by the estimated time standards approved by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation in the prescribed manner. Examination of patients stops 20 minutes before the end of the appointment.

Organization of an appointment with doctors in the registry

When a patient first visits a polyclinic, an appointment is made through the registry (infomat) and the Internet. The registration office fills in and issues an outpatient admission voucher.

Appointment with local pediatrician :

– reception is carried out on the day of application in the order of priority for recording. If the appointment with the local doctor is completed, then upon obtaining consent from the pediatrician, the patient can be referred to another pediatrician.

For an appointment with a specialist doctor – by directly contacting the reception, or by prior appointment via the Internet or an electronic terminal (“Infomat”) installed in the lobby of the clinic. An appointment with a neurologist for children under 1 year old is carried out 1 day in advance on Wednesday every week from 7-30 o’clock in the neurologist’s office.

The provision of primary health care to citizens in outpatient clinics for emergency reasons caused by a sudden deterioration in health is carried out without an appointment and without a queue, regardless of attachment to the site.

Lack of a compulsory health insurance policy and identity documents is not a reason for refusing emergency medical care.

In the event of an emergency nature of the patient’s visit to the polyclinic, the registrar sends the patient to the emergency room to the doctor on duty according to the duty schedule approved by the polyclinic administration.

Organization of an appointment with doctors through the electronic terminal “infomat” and the Internet.

1. When making an appointment with a specialist doctor through the “infomat” or the Internet, the citizen himself chooses the date and time and makes an appointment.

2. Citizens registered with a specialist in the dispensary and included in the register of dispensary patients can make an appointment with this specialist without first visiting a local doctor.

3. In case of a large flow of patients, vacation or illness of polyclinic doctors, as well as other force majeure circumstances, an appointment through the “Infomat” or the Internet for citizens may be limited (up to 30% of the total doctor’s appointment time)

Medical care conditions

According to the territorial program of state guarantees for the provision of free medical care to the population of the Stavropol Territory:

Medical assistance is provided to citizens of the Russian Federation, foreign citizens, stateless persons upon provision of:

– policies of compulsory medical insurance;

– identity document;

– applications for attachment to a medical organization.

Persons who do not have the above document or have documents that are not properly executed are provided with emergency and urgent care only.

Scheduled outpatient care is provided subject to the following conditions:

– attachment to an outpatient clinic, the choice by the insured person of a doctor, including a district doctor (subject to the consent of this doctor), as well as the choice of a medical organization in accordance with a contract of compulsory medical insurance;

– the presence of a sequence of planned patients for an appointment with a doctor, individual diagnostic tests, and advisory assistance from specialists. The queue to the local pediatrician is no more than 40 minutes;

– admission of patients is carried out according to coupons. Coupons are issued at the registration desk through an electronic terminal, the Internet. In case of acute diseases, follow-up coupons are issued by a specialist doctor;

– the time allotted for the reception of the patient in the clinic is determined by the current settlement standards. The waiting time for an appointment is no more than 20 minutes from the moment assigned to the patient, except in cases where the doctor is involved in providing emergency assistance to another patient or examining a difficult patient;

– Ensuring the presence of parents or legal representatives when providing medical assistance and advisory services to children under 15 years of age. In the case of providing medical care to children under 15 years of age in the absence of their parents or legal representatives, the doctor subsequently provides them with comprehensive information about the state of the child’s health and the medical care provided;

Emergency outpatient care

Outpatient medical care in the polyclinic is guaranteed on the day of treatment for acute illnesses.

The patient is admitted out of turn and without an appointment at:

– acute and sudden deterioration in health, namely: high temperature (38 degrees and above), acute and sudden pain of any localization, convulsions, heart rhythm disturbances, bleeding, other conditions of the disease, poisoning and injuries requiring emergency assistance and doctor’s advice.