November 2024

Issue 40 – November 2024

From the Chair
Priority news
- Check and correct your advertising
- International osteopathy regulation update
Board news
Students and graduates
- Finishing your studies? Apply for registration now
What’s new?
Keep in touch with the Board

From the Chair

Image of Paul Orrock OsteoBA

It’s registration renewal time again, so please ensure your professional indemnity insurance (PII) is up to date and that you have completed your annual CPD portfolio before making the renewal declaration. View our video resources with Board members explaining the requirements for PII, CPD and registration renewal.

As part of your mandatory four hours of CPD, consider refreshing your knowledge of the Board’s requirements on advertising and learn about applying AI in healthcare – you can find further information in the articles below. You can also read about Ahpra and the Board’s cultural safety CPD development project to plan your future CPD.

We wish our current CEO of Ahpra, Martin Fletcher, all the best in his future endeavours as he leaves the helm after 15 years. It has always been a pleasure to work with a committed leader in regulation who was also able to share his views at the OIA conference.

Associate Professor Paul Orrock
Chair, Osteopathy Board of Australia

Priority news

Check and correct your advertising

Responsible advertising about regulated health services helps to keep the public safe from false or misleading claims and supports the public to make informed choices about their healthcare.

Since 2020, health practitioners have been asked to confirm that, if they advertise, their advertising meets the requirements of the National Law and the Advertising guidelines. Ahpra has since conducted random audits of practitioner advertising over a two-year period.

The audit identified that 93 per cent of osteopathy practitioners had some form of online advertising, and that several practitioners had one or more breaches of the advertising rules.

The most common breaches related to use of specialist terms, advertising osteopathy as a primary treatment for a range of non-musculoskeletal conditions, and clinical testimonials.

Osteopaths are not permitted to call themselves a specialist or state that they specialise in a specific field or service, as this is likely to imply that they hold specialist registration with the Board.

The following examples may be considered false and misleading:

osteopathic specialist
specialising in sports injury
specialising in kids/children/paediatric
specialising in treating specific disorders.

When a practitioner has additional training or focus in a particular area this may be described as follows:

Dr Smith (Osteopath) has a particular interest in musculoskeletal issues in children, or
Dr Grey (Osteopath) is recognised by Osteopathy Australia for advanced practice in exercise rehabilitation.

Claims by osteopaths about treating non-musculoskeletal conditions can be misleading and this is an area that has attracted many complaints. If advertising refers to a specific non-musculoskeletal condition, it should be clear that the practitioner is treating the aspects of the condition relevant to their practice of osteopathy (i.e. for osteopaths, there should be a specific reference to what musculoskeletal aspect of the condition is being treated).

The role of the adjunct treatment should not be overstated and should be supported by acceptable evidence.

The most common non-compliant examples regarding treatment of non-musculoskeletal issues included:

osteopathy as treatment for ADD and ADHD
claims that osteopathy is a primary treatment for visceral diseases
claims that osteopathy is a primary treatment for newborns with problems such as colic, reflux, bowel issues, latching issues and feeding issues.

We encourage you to use the self-assessment tool on our advertising hub to ensure your advertising is compliant with the National Law. We have also developed specific examples for osteopaths.

As a registered health practitioner, you are responsible for your advertising. We recognise that many practitioners use third parties such as web developers to assist with their advertising. We recommend that you provide a copy of the Guidelines for advertising a regulated health service to any web developers or marketing companies that you engage, and it is imperative you check their work before publication.

Ahpra will be conducting follow-up audits. Practitioners who continue to breach the advertising rules may be subject to regulatory action such as caution, conditions or criminal prosecution.

We know that health practitioners want to do the right thing and advertise responsibly. Ensuring your advertising is compliant can save you time, stress or having to respond to complaints. We encourage you to use the resources and information available to help ensure your advertising complies with the National Law.

International osteopathy regulation update

The Osteopathy Board of Australia Chair, Board members and Executive Officer attended the Osteopathic International Alliance (OIA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) and conference in Sydney from 24 to 26 October 2024.

The conference was an opportunity to showcase Australian regulation to global regulators of osteopaths and osteopathic physicians and to focus on current issues, trends, education and research. Some key sessions covering Australian regulation included:

Martin Fletcher, CEO, Ahpra – ‘What does it mean to be an intelligent regulator? Perspectives on risk, foresight and trustworthiness’ (Keynote)
Susan Biggar, National Manager, Regulatory experience and engagement, Ahpra – 'Understanding practitioner distress: Should regulation be kinder?’ (Keynote)
Paul Orrock, Board Chair, and Kerrin Murnane, President of the Osteopathy Council of NSW – ‘Meet the regulators’ (Panel)
Paul Orrock – ‘Regulation of osteopathy in a multi-profession model’
Global regulation panel.

Osteopathy Australia hosted the conference, and sessions included many presentations from Australian educators, researchers and practitioners.

Additional meetings with the UK and NZ regulators were held to discuss issues of mutual interest including each country’s osteopathy workforce situation.

At the AGM, the former Chair of the Osteopathy Board of Australia, Nikole Grbin, was elected to the OIA Board of Directors for a three-year term. The next OIA conference will be held in Toronto on 7 to 9 November 2025.

Below: International osteopathy regulators: Boyd Buser DO (US), Matiu Taingahue (NZ), Martin Fletcher (Australia), Matthew Redford (UK), Paul Orrock (Australia); Paul Orrock, Osteopathy Board of Australia and Kerrin Murnane, Osteopathic Council of NSW.

Paul Orrock, Osteopathy Board of Australia and Kerrin Murnane, Osteopathic Council of NSW

Board news

Registration renewal for osteopaths

Osteopaths are invited to renew their general or non-practising registration. You will receive an email from Ahpra providing access to online renewal.

Renewal is online only. Read the renewal FAQs on the Ahpra website for tips on logging in.

Be sure to renew before 30 November 2024, to avoid a late fee.

If you submit your application on time, or during the following one-month late period, you can continue practising while your application is assessed.

If you don’t renew before the end of the late period, 31 December 2024, your registration will lapse, you’ll be removed from the register of practitioners, and you won’t be able to use the protected title, osteopath.

Got questions about your renewal?

The renewal FAQs on the Ahpra website cover common questions on professional indemnity insurance, recency of practice, continuing professional development, and what to do if you have a change in your criminal history or health impairments you need to tell us about. Remember, you don’t need to tell us about well-managed health conditions that do not affect your practice.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement and Support team

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement and Support team is here to assist Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander osteopaths with the renewal process. If, after reading the renewal FAQs, you would like assistance with your renewal application, please email the support team at mobengagementsupport@ahpra.gov.au.

Community member vacancy on the Board

There is a vacancy for a community member with no jurisdictional requirement on the Osteopathy Board of Australia. See the news item for further details. Applications close on Sunday 1 December 2024.

More information about the role, eligibility requirements and the application process can be found within the online application form on Ahpra’s Board member recruitment page.

Latest workforce data released

The Board’s latest quarterly registration data report covers the period to 30 September 2024. There were 3,592 registered osteopaths nationally at this date: 3,404 with general registration, six osteopaths with provisional registration and 182 with non-practising registration.

For further data breakdowns by age, gender and principal place of practice, visit the Board’s Statistics page to read the report.

Good virtual care practices

Over 25 per cent of Australians have had at least one telehealth consultation for their own health in the last 12 months, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics data.

Ahpra and the National Boards have published virtual care information for health practitioners, the public and employers about accessing and providing safe and effective virtual care.

Practitioners and consumers are increasingly choosing virtual care alternatives as we continue to see growth in the adoption of technology, online prescribing and the use of health ‘apps’. What was once seen as a temporary approach to enable healthcare in a global pandemic is now widely accepted as just another way to see your practitioner.

These documents replace the previous Telehealth guidance for practitioners, which was developed to address the impact of COVID-19 restrictions.

This information is not new and relies on the existing principles within the National Boards’ regulatory framework, such as codes of conduct and other relevant standards and guidelines. It has been developed as a helpful resource for healthcare providers and consumers to understand what good virtual care should look like.

Applying your code of conduct to evolving technologies – AI in healthcare

Are you using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in your practice?

AI is rapidly becoming integrated into everyday healthcare and has the potential to transform and support new and innovative ways of working. So how do you ensure when using these new technologies that you maintain the continued high standard of care expected by your patients and clients?

Ahpra and National Boards support the safe use of AI in healthcare, recognising the significant potential to improve health outcomes and create a more person-centred health system.

While the potential of AI to improve diagnostics and disease detection has been reported for some time, recent commentary has focused on the benefits for health practitioners for improved care and patient satisfaction, including reducing administrative burdens and health practitioner burnout.

As new tools emerge, so do the unique practical and ethical issues associated with its use in a healthcare setting. Ahpra and the National Boards have developed principles for practitioners to consider when using or looking to integrate AI into their practice. These principles translate existing obligations in practitioner codes of conduct and remind practitioners to consider these responsibilities when assessing the appropriate use of AI.

Specific professional obligations to consider include accountability, an appropriate understanding of the tool, transparency of its use, informed consent, and ethical and legal issues. Read Meeting your professional obligations when using AI in healthcare and its supporting case studies on the Ahpra website to learn more about what safe and effective use of AI should look like.

Students and graduates

Finishing your studies? Apply for registration now

If you’re studying to become an osteopath and are about to finish your course, you can apply for registration now. Getting your application in early helps avoid any delays and helps get you into the workforce sooner. If you apply before you finish your study, we can start assessing your application while we wait for your graduate results.

Before you can start working as an osteopath you have to be registered with the Osteopathy Board of Australia (the Board). Your application is managed by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra).

Easy steps to apply online

Create your account using Ahpra’s online services and complete your application.
Upload your documents and pay the required fees. Check that you have provided all required documents to prove you’ve met the registration standards, including certified copies of your photo ID.
Wait for your education provider to provide your graduate results to Ahpra.

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander graduates

Ahpra’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement and Support team is there to assist you through the registration process.

The support team consists of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, and they provide a one-on-one service. They can assist you to navigate the registration process, provide regular phone contact, and advise on any disclosures you made on your registration application (for example, about impairments) that the Board may need to consider.

The support team is committed to assisting you to get registered promptly so you can start making vital contributions to culturally safe healthcare for your communities. If, after reading the handy hints below, you would still like some help with your application for registration, please email the support team at mobengagementsupport@ahpra.gov.au.

Handy hints to help you apply

Watch our video to get your application right: Applying for graduate registration.
You’ll find helpful advice, tips for avoiding common causes of delay, and downloadable information flyers on the Graduate applications page of the Ahpra website.
Read our news item for more information about applying.

What’s new?

Ahpra’s annual report shows progress in addressing workforce needs

Addressing workforce needs by getting more health practitioners safely registered faster and responding to new risks from emerging models of care are the highlights of the 2023/24 Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) annual report.

At 30 June this year, there were 920,535 registered health practitioners in Australia, a 4.9 per cent increase on the previous year. This means there are now 3.4 registered health practitioners for every 100 Australians. This is the first time the number of registered practitioners has exceeded 900,000, and 96.9 per cent of these practitioners hold practising registration.

Improvements to Ahpra’s registration processes have almost halved the time to finalise international applications, cutting the previous 60-day average to just 33 days. There was strong growth in the number of internationally qualified health practitioners with 48.4 per cent more new overseas practitioners gaining registration than in the previous financial year.

Maintaining a balance between access to needed healthcare and the risk posed by some emerging models of care is a key priority for Ahpra, amid the acceleration of telehealth, online prescribing and direct-to-consumer health services. New models of care in areas such as medicinal cannabis and vaping have led Ahpra to develop cross-regulatory solutions with other regulators, such as the Therapeutic Goods Administration, to take a system-wide approach to patient safety.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioner registration reaches exciting milestone

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners registered with Ahpra hit 1,000 for the first time in September.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners are a unique profession founded on traditional values, complemented by modern medicine. They are clinical and cultural experts who build trust, practise cultural safety and bring an understanding which strengthens health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

They work autonomously or as part of a multidisciplinary team, providing a broad range of expertise in both primary and tertiary healthcare, from administering and supplying medications, to acute and chronic disease management and advocating for patients.

Their aim is to empower First Nations families and communities to make them feel welcome, safe and comfortable when using health services and to make self-determined decisions about their health and wellbeing. The profession, while small in number, is critical to ‘closing the gap’ by removing disparities in healthcare.

Ahpra congratulates the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Board of Australia (ATSIHPBA) for ensuring practitioners are suitably trained, qualified and safe to practise, and for working collectively and collaboratively with the National Scheme and stakeholders to eliminate racism in healthcare.

Greater protection for the public under National Law changes

The recent series of amendments to the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law are now complete, with a final suite of changes being introduced from 1 July. A key update for practitioners is that you can now nominate an alternative name to go on the register, alongside your legal name.

Some health practitioners may practise under an alternative name, such as a traditional name or an anglicised or shortened name. Having both your legal name and your alternative name appear on the public register will make it easier for the public to search the register and make informed decisions about their care.

You can find out more about alternative names and how to nominate on the Ahpra website.

Other changes to the National Law from 1 July include:

allowing National Boards and Ahpra to issue interim prohibition orders to unregistered persons in certain circumstances where the person poses a serious risk to others
establishing the process regarding renewal of a practitioner’s registration after a period of suspension
empowering the National Boards to include previously excluded information in the National Register if there is a reasonable belief the circumstances have changed
enabling the Ministerial Council to delegate its power to approve registration standards to an appropriate entity.

Australia’s health system, as well as the reasons and ways people access it, has changed dramatically over the 15 years. These reforms allow the regulation scheme to evolve with it, strengthening Ahpra and National Boards’ ability to protect the public and support practitioners.

More information about the changes, as well as future areas of focus and ways to provide feedback, can be found on Ahpra's website.

Improving experiences when navigating a healthcare complaint

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (the Commission), Ahpra and the National Boards have worked on a joint project to explore opportunities to improve the consumer experience of making a healthcare complaint in Australia.

Both organisations wanted to get a better understanding of the barriers that consumers face when making a healthcare complaint and to discover what they can do to support consumers.

The final report has now been published along with supporting resources for practitioners and the public about navigating healthcare complaints. The project found that the complexity of the complaints system places a huge weight of responsibility on consumers to understand how it works. Consumers are also experiencing barriers, whether social, economic or cultural, that are affecting their ability to make a complaint and want a system that is focused on their needs rather than administrative processes.

What we’ve done

To improve experiences for those going through a complaint process, the Commission and Ahpra have:

updated our websites to clarify the process of making a complaint
developed three animations to give clear information to the public about how and where to make a health complaint
developed a ‘Tips for consumers when making a complaint’ webpage and fact sheet
developed Healthcare complaints - where to make a complaint (downloadable fact sheet), and
created a complaints checklist for practitioners to help effectively handle feedback and complaints from their patients or clients.

We will continue to make improvements to our websites and consumer resources. In some states and territories, work is being explored to develop a targeted local resource about complaints options.

Review to ease the complexity of health regulation

The Review of complexity in the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (the Dawson review) began in May 2024, and is led by the former NSW Health Care Complaints Commissioner Sue Dawson.

The independent review aims to identify areas of the National Scheme that are unnecessarily complex and recommend changes that will improve regulatory outcomes for health practitioners and the community.

Six terms of reference outline the scope of the review. These will consider:

how to streamline and harmonise decision-making to improve consistency in regulation
how to make complaints management more consumer-driven, consistent, accessible and efficient
how to make tribunal decision-making more consistent
stewardship of the National Scheme
how to manage new professions entering the National Scheme, and
the powers ministers have to direct entities exercising accreditation functions.

Consultation paper 1 was released on 12 September 2024.

The review is expected to be completed by mid-2025.

Keep in touch with the Board

Visit www.osteopathyboard.gov.au for the mandatory registration standards, codes, guidelines and FAQs. Visiting the website regularly is the best way to stay in touch with news and updates from the Board.
Lodge an enquiry form via the website by following the Enquiries link on every webpage under Contact us.
For registration enquiries, call Ahpra on 1300 419 495 (from within Australia) or +61 3 9125 3010 (for overseas callers).
To update your contact details, see important emails about registration renewal and get other Board updates, log in to the Ahpra portal using your User ID and password.
Address mail correspondence to: Assoc Prof Paul Orrock, Chair, Osteopathy Board of Australia, GPO Box 9958, Melbourne, VIC 3001.