Mission

The mission of The Osteopathic Research Center is to conduct clinical, mechanistic and health services research to identify and promote the unique aspects of osteopathic medical care, including the use of osteopathic manipulative treatment. By building the scientific evidence base that supports the distinctiveness of osteopathic medical practice, the ORC seeks to influence national health policy to advocate for and promote the highest levels of health for patients.

 Goals

The original four aims of the ORC according to its founding award include:
  • Develop and sustain the infrastructure necessary to support the mission
  • Develop OMM research training opportunities
  • Conduct research into the mechanisms of action and clinical efficacy of OMM
  • Facilitate inter-institutional research collaborations
Timelines are associated with each aim, and information on these is available upon request to the ORC. Within each aim lie constantly developing goals as the ORC matures in its capacity to fulfill the expectations of its sponsors and partners in the classroom, in the laboratory, in the public policy arena, and in the community. Current goals include the following:
  • Provide boundary-spanning activities including Focused Research Forums, Multi-disciplinary seminars, Think Tank processes, and collaborative consultation
  • Provide services in research design, implementation, and oversight
  • Extend efficacy studies by building on past research on OMT efficacy
  • Improve on existing quantitative findings from studies with acknowledged design limitations
  • Build on previous research of high quality scientific design and methodology by expanding pilot research into full clinical trials at the R-01 proposal level
  • Emphasize and teach that carefully crafted design and precise measurement are indispensable tools for OMT research
  • Contribute to the combined strength of the evidence that osteopathic treatment strategies are scientifically based, and in fact improve health
As we move into and shape the future of research in OMM, plans will constantly evolve. As we achieve some objectives, we will create others. This information is in our Vision for the Future section.