Our Mission
Osteopathy’s Promise to Children (OPC) was established in 1992 for the purpose of osteopathic education, research and treatment and to provide clinical experience to health professionals in the field of osteopathy (per Articles of Incorporation). Viola M. Frymann, DO, FAAO, FCA began offering CME activities in 1977 through COMP – Western Health Science University. OPC began sponsoring CME Activities for Dr. Frymann in 1993.
OPC Mission Statement for Continuing Medical Education (CME) Activities
The purpose of CME at Osteopathy’s Promise to Children is to maintain and enhance the physician’s service to their patients. Since 1992 Osteopathy’s Promise to Children has presented many CME programs on osteopathic principles and practice as well as clinical skill building emphasizing applications for cranial osteopathic manipulative treatment, pediatric osteopathic medicine, and general osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) based on best available evidence-based research.
OPC reaffirms this mission and scope of CME provision to the intended audience of physicians and osteopathic practitioners meeting standards accepted by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). OPC accepts and strives for a role as premier provider of CME and pledges to meet all AOA standards.
OPC has created and is committed to maintaining a strong staff infrastructure for CME program management. OPC has met AOA’s CME requirements related to percentage of credit hours and percentage of presenters being 50% or greater doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs), and will continue to do so.
Statement of Purpose
The purpose of OPC’s CME programs is to maintain and increase the medical knowledge and skills of osteopathic physicians consistent with the values, goals and principles of Viola M. Frymann, DO. Our ultimate goal for continuing medical education is continued excellence of patient care and improving the health and wellbeing of the individual patient and the public. OPC is dedicated to meeting the highest standards of excellence in meeting the educational needs of San Diego and beyond. Currently, all courses are held at Osteopathic Center San Diego, where both OPC and Osteopathic Center for Children are located.
Target Audience
The CME program at OPC focuses on educational activities for clinicians, targeting primarily osteopathic physicians. Secondary audiences for these programs include allopathic physicians, dentists, doctor of medicine in dentistry or doctor of dental medicine, international osteopaths and physicians in training.
Content Area
CME coursework at OPC has been developed to fulfill a major part of Dr. Viola Frymann’s legacy, which is to educate physicians to provide osteopathic medical care in its most complete form. Our courses are taught by Frymann-trained osteopathic physicians who also worked with her over many years. All course content reflects Dr. Frymann’s experience, wisdom and knowledge, as developed over her long and illustrious career as a practicing osteopathic physician, teacher, scientist and researcher. The goal of our coursework is to teach physicians to apply this same knowledge and wisdom within their medical practices by integrating a framework of osteopathic philosophy and principles. All course content relates to a body of knowledge and skills as generally recognized and accepted by the AOA and the general medical profession as being within the basic medical sciences, the discipline of clinical medicine, and the provision of health care to the public.
Types of Activities
The CME program at OPC cultivates CME activities through the following learning modalities:
- Live Lectures w/ Labs
- Seminars
- Workshops
- Mentoring of Physicians in Training
Expected Results
OPC assesses the contribution of activities it sponsors to the following outcomes:
- Assist physicians in carrying out their professional responsibilities more effectively and efficiently
- Enhanced clinical skills of physicians
- Improved application of osteopathic techniques in the clinical practice of medicine, as appropriate
- Improved patient care
Content of the CME Program at OPC includes:
- Osteopathic Musculoskeletal Manipulative Theory and Practice
- Practice Management
- Direct Application of Osteopathic Principles and Philosophy to Patient Care
Expected Results
The expected results of our program are to improve knowledge, competence and performance of our learners and to this end, enable the optimum provision of health care. Evaluation and outcomes are measured by many methods to determine if content is relevant, if educational needs and objectives are met and whether participants’ knowledge, competence, or performance has improved. Content and objectives are evaluated by physicians on the CME Advisory Committee, expert faculty, peer review and through participant evaluations. Improvements in participant’s knowledge, competence and performance are measured by self-assessments, pre/post tests, case studies, audience response system, focus groups, direct observation, comparison with quality assurance data, etc. Standardized evaluation measures are used across all CME activities to allow an annual program based analysis to improve overall educational planning, evaluation and outcomes.
OPC CME employs numerous strategies to achieve our educational mission, including:
- Employing additional strategies to support physician learning and change (self-assessments, pre/post tests, reminders, feedback);
- Participation in a system-wide, process-based quality improvement platform;
- Collaboration with stakeholders who support our mission, including hospital based quality assurance, medical societies, federal and state organizations, advocacy groups, medical schools and other health organizations;
- Research and practical application of current adult education principles and CME literature;
- Supporting members of our target audience in point of care learning and specific practice improvements;
- Participation in national organizations committed to improving CME.