An Empirical Study on the Professional Self-Conception of Osteopaths and Their Attitude towards the Legal Acknowledgement of Osteopathy

Item

Title
An Empirical Study on the Professional Self-Conception of Osteopaths and Their Attitude towards the Legal Acknowledgement of Osteopathy
Description
Die vorliegende Arbeit ist eine quantitative Studie im Bereich der Berufsforschung.
In Österreich gibt es derzeit keine gesetzliche Regelung der Osteopathie. Osteopathie wird im Rahmen der gültigen Berufsgesetzte der jeweiligen Grundberufe der OsteopathInnen als „mechanotherapeutische Maßnahme zur Behandlung krankhafter Zustände“ interpretiert. Nachdem sich die OsteopathInnen in Österreich hauptsächlich aus PhysiotherapeutInnen und ÄrztInnen zusammensetzen, ergeben sich unterschiedliche Ausgangspositionen und Möglichkeiten bei der Ausübung der Osteopathie. Die Literaturanalyse zeigt, dass Professionalität Voraussetzung ist für qualitativ hochwertige Osteopathie. Auch in Bezug auf Professionalisierung ist die Gruppe der OsteopathInnen in Österreich inhomogen.
Die Österreichische Gesellschaft für Osteopathie arbeitet mit an europaweiten einheitlichen Regelungen für die Osteopathie. Dafür ist es nötig, die Bedürfnisse der OsteopathInnen in Österreich zu kennen. Es wurde ein standardisierter Fragebogen entwickelt, um Einblicke in das berufliche Selbstverständnis von OsteopathInnen und deren Einstellung zu gesetzlichen Regelungen  zu erhalten. Der Fragebogen wurde an 180 OsteopathInnen in Wien verschickt, der Rücklauf betrug 37%. Es zeigt sich, dass die OsteopathInnen mit der aktuellen Situation mehrheitlich unzufrieden sind. Alle befragten OsteopathInnen sind für eine gesetzliche Anerkennung der Osteopathie, wobei die Mehrheit Osteopathie sowohl als eigenen Beruf, als auch als Methode anerkannt haben möchte. PhysiotherapeutInnen sind signifikant unzufriedener als ÄrztInnen. Die Erwartungen an eine gesetzliche Anerkennung sind insgesamt stark, die Befürchtungen schwach ausgeprägt. In der Diskussion wird darauf eingegangen, wie sich die unterschiedliche Professionalisierungsgeschichte von PhysiotherapeutInnen und ÄrztInnen, sowie die verschiedene gesetzliche Ausgangslage auf die Beantwortung der Fragen auswirken.
Type
osteo_thesis
Medium
Riermeier Renate.pdf
Date Accepted
2011
Abstract
[_H2_]Study Design[_/H2_]
[_P_]The paper at hand is a quantitative study in occupational research.[_/P_]
[_H2_]Outline/Problem Definition[_/H2_]
[_P_]There is currently no legal regulation concerning osteopathy in Austria. Within the framework of the laws regarding the principal professions of the osteopaths, osteopathy is interpreted as ?mechanotherapeutische Maßnahme zur Behandlung krankhafter Zustände?. Since most osteopaths in Austria are either physiotherapists or medical doctors, there is a range of different initial situations and possibilities of practising osteopathy. The analysis of literature proves that professionalism is a pre-condition for high quality osteopathy. Also in regard to professionalization the group of osteopaths in Austria is highly inhomogeneous.
The Österreichische Gesellschaft für Osteopathie follows and supports the aim of establishing unified legal regulations for osteopathy throughout Europe. It therefore is necessary to know the wishes of osteopaths in Austria.[_/P_]
[_H2_]Research Question & Objective[_/H2_]
[_P_]This circumstance leads to the following questions:Is a regulation by law desirable from the perspective of a practising osteopath?
Can osteopaths practise their profession in a satisfactory manner on the legal basis of their principal occupation?
Do the requirements regarding the legal acknowledgement of osteopathy vary amongst doctors and others, due to the different initial situations?
Which professional self-conception do osteopaths develop?
Does the time in office influence the desire for legal acknowledgement?
Do osteopaths tend to consider osteopathy an additional qualification or a profession in its own right?
Which hopes and fears are there in regard to a legal acknowledgement?
To which extent would obligatory standards be tolerated?
[_/P_]
[_H2_]Hypothesis[_/H2_]
[_P_]Deduced from the research objectives and questions as well as the analysis of the literature statistical hypotheses were established, which were then to be evaluated in the course of the data-analysis.[_/P_]
[_H2_]Methodology[_/H2_]
[_P_]A standardized questionnaire was developed to gain an insight into the professional self-conception of osteopaths and their attitude towards the legal situation. The questionnaires were sent to 180 osteopaths in Vienna and the response rate was 37%[_/P_]
[_H2_]Results[_/H2_]
[_P_]The results showed that most osteopaths are dissatisfied with the current situation. All osteopaths questioned are in favour of a legal acknowledgement of osteopathy, the majority wanting osteopathy to be accepted as both, a profession in its own right as well as a form of treatment. Physiotherapists are significantly more dissatisfied than medical doctors. Hopes concerning a legal acknowledgement are high, while the fears are modest. In the discussion the different professionalization histories of physiotherapists and doctors are taken into account as well as the different legal constellations and their influence on the answers of the questionnaire. [_/P_]
[_H2_]Critical Reflection/Perspectives/Conclusions[_/H2_]
[_P_]
To 91% the questionnaires were completed by graduates of the WSO (Wiener Schule für Osteopathie ? Vienna School of Osteopathy) and the remaining 9% had also trained abroad for several years. It was not possible to receive answers from people without medical training or those who had merely attended a short course in osteopathy.
[_/P_]
[_H2_]Additional Information[_/H2_]
[_P_][_/P_]
Subject
Professionalization; legal situation; professional policy; ostepath
Date Submitted
1.6.2011 21:02:53
Language
German
status
0
Alternative Title
Eine empirische Studie zum beruflichen Selbstverständnis von OsteopathInnen und deren Einstellung zur gesetzlichen Anerkennung der Osteopathie
number of pages
130
identifier
781
Creator
Riermeier Renate
Identifier
14984
presented at
Wiener Schule für Osteopathie
Item sets
Thesis
Media
Riermeier Renate.pdf

Riermeier Renate, “An Empirical Study on the Professional Self-Conception of Osteopaths and Their Attitude towards the Legal Acknowledgement of Osteopathy”, Osteopathic Research Web, accessed April 16, 2024, https://www.osteopathic-research.com/s/orw/item/2895