Views from Australian osteopaths and industry stakeholders about the profession: A qualitative study

Background: The future health and longevity of the osteopathy profession relies heavily on its practitioners and industry stakeholders to support it. Possessing a deeper understanding of practitioner and stakeholder views of the profession may provide crucial insights into the wellbeing of the workforce and their perceived skills and expertise in the wider healthcare landscape. Objective: To provide a review of current and emerging attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of Australian osteopaths and supportive external stakeholders towards the profession.Methods: A qualitative approach using grounded theory explored the attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of Australian osteopaths and supportive external stakeholders. Purposive sampling identified 18 practitioners (Victoria 10, Western Australia 5, and New South Wales 3) and 6 external stakeholders. All participated in semistructured focus groups. A constant comparative method followed data collection whereby repeated ideas formed the extraction of the emerging themes presented.Results: Central themes for each group included: 1) practitioner wellbeing and 2) osteopathic skills and expertise. Subthemes included: 1) career sustainability and longevity for practitioners, and 2) osteopathy within the broader context of allied healthcare in Australia.Conclusion: Threats to practitioner wellbeing included lack of early career support, limited career pathways, and uncertainty surrounding the future of the profession. External stakeholders echoed similar concerns regarding the future of the profession, acknowledging whilst osteopathy may play a sustainable role in managing the health and wellbeing of Australians, their skills and expertise are not unique nor exclusive to the profession, are underevidenced, and undervalued by other healthcare professionals. Fostering a healthy and fulfilled workforce lies in securing a sustainable role for the profession by addressing these limitations.