Monitoring the Use of OMT for COVID-19 Patients (Final update: September 3, 2020)

Check out the updated graph monitoring the use of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) for patients diagnosed with COVID-19 by DO‑Touch.NET members!

FINAL UPDATE (September 3, 2020): This will be our final update on the use of OMT by DO-Touch.NET members to treat patients diagnosed with COVID-19. We are grateful to all those members who actively participated in this project.

We received reports of 194 OMT sessions provided to 166 patients with COVID-19 since the last week of March 2020. This total included 136 patients treated in outpatient clinics, 26 treated in hospitals, and 4 treated in other settings.

Our next goal is to understand why these reports about the use of OMT to treat patients with COVID-19 were low compared to the number of COVID-19 cases reported. Was OMT not being used by clinician choice, did licensing or other legal or administrative mandates limit the use of OMT, or were we not receiving reports from our members who were using OMT to treat patients with COVID-19?

This graph illustrates the cumulative number of patients with COVID‑19 treated with OMT (circles, related to left axis) and the number of OMT sessions provided to those patients (triangles, related to left axis). The bars and the right axis show how many DO‑Touch.NET members reported each week (reporting clinicians, green bars) and how many provided OMT to COVID‑19 patients each week (treating clinicians, blue bars).

UPDATE (August 20, 2020): The gradual rise in patients with COVID-19 treated with OMT reported by DO-Touch.NET members continues.

UPDATE (July 30, 2020): During the week of July 17-23, we received a report of 1 patient with COVID-19 treated with OMT.

UPDATE (July 23, 2020): Once again, we’re seeing a small increase in the number of COVID-19 patients treated with OMT. With the sharp rise in numbers of people testing positive for COVID-19 in much of the country, we’re curious why we’re not seeing that trend reflected in our weekly summary reports. Is it because people are not treating COVID-19 patients with OMT or are we not receiving reports from members who are treating with OMT? We would appreciate your feedback in the comments.

UPDATE (July 9, 2020): Nothing much new this week as the steady, slow increase in the numbers of COVID-19 patients treated using OMT by our members continues. Are you treating COVID-19 patients using OMT either in-patient or out-patient? If you are interested in learning more about our research project on OMT for COVID-19 patients, click here to check out the update from our director, Brian Degenhardt, DO, C-NMM/OMM.

UPDATE (July 2, 2020): We’re still seeing a steady, slow increase in the numbers of COVID-19 patients treated using OMT by our members. You may see some adjustments to the numbers from previous weeks as we ask our reporting clinicians to go back and fill in any weeks that they missed.

Did you notice that we have added to the picture at the top of this post? Do you have any pictures of yourself or others treating while wearing PPE, or even just wearing PPE? We would like to share pictures of #DoctorsThatDO. Please contact us at DOTouchNET@atsu.edu if you’re willing to share!

UPDATE (June 25, 2020): We’ve added a couple new members who have treated COVID-19 patients using OMT in the last week and our numbers continue to rise.

UPDATE (June 18, 2020): We continue to see a gradual, slow rise in the number of patients with COVID-19 being treated by our members.

UPDATE (June 11, 2020): A gradual, slow rise in the number of patients with COVID-19 being treated by our members continues.

UPDATE (June 4, 2020): One member reported treating 2 COVID-19 patients with OMT during the week of May 22-28, 2020. Both these patients were treated in the hospital.

UPDATE (May 28, 2020): There were no new reports of COVID-19 patients treated with OMT by our members during the week of May 15-21, 2020.

UPDATE (May 21, 2020): After an initial surge in the number of patients with COVID‑19 who were treated with OMT, we have had only a few patients in the last 4 weeks. We hope this reflects decreased need and not decreased use of OMT.

If you are a clinician using OMT as part of your treatment for patients with COVID‑19, you can find information about joining our study at https://is.gd/omt_covid19_optin.

Have a question or comment? Leave it below. And don’t forget to share our message with your social networks!

Leave a Reply