Louisa Burns Osteopathic Research Committee

The Louisa Burns Osteopathic Research Committee (LBORC) consists of a chairperson, 18 members serving staggered three-year terms, and four consultants. Each year, the AAO President-elect recommends to the Trustees the appointment of the chairperson, six committee members, and at least one consultant.

In general, the Committee focuses on clinical research involving health care outcomes in the practice of osteopathic manipulative medicine. They seek to accomplish this by assisting Academy members with consultation services in developing research protocols and grant proposals. The Committee also reviews and recommends Academy funding from the Robuck Fund for clinical research projects in the pediatric field. The group serves as the AAO’s liaison to the AOA Bureau of Research.

Committee members have been highly visible leaders in the expanding research role within the osteopathic medical profession. They have served on steering committees for each of the profession’s three Osteopathic Collaborative Clinical Trials Initiative Conferences. They have actively participated on the Osteopathic Research Task Force, which advised the AOA in creating the Center for Osteopathic Research and Excellence at the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine.

The LBORC has created and delivered Introduction to OMT Research workshops delivered at the AOA Convention and AAO Convocation. Most recently, the group has revised the Outpatient Osteopathic SOAP Note and created the new Single Organ System Osteopathic Musculoskeletal Form. The LBORC piloted a training program for physicians who wish to use these resources to participate in OMT research.

Finally, the Committee continues the difficult task of development of an electronic SOAP note, from which confidential data can be sent via the Internet to a central secure storage facility. Osteopathic researchers will then be able to tap into these patient records for their individual projects.