International Osteopathic Association (IOA) is responsible for investigating complaints made against manual osteopaths and, when necessary, disciplining manual osteopaths found to be incompetent or guilty of professional misconduct. Mechanisms also exist for dealing with manual osteopaths who are incapacitated.
If you have a complaint:
If you have a concern please write a letter to IOA outlining your concerns. Complaints must be filed in writing. Complaints via e-mail are not acceptable.
Complaints should include:
-your name and address (so that IOA can contact you for verification and authorization to proceed);
-the name of the manual osteopath; and
-details of the incident about which you are complaining. If possible, information such as the date and time of the occurrence and names of any other person(s) who may be involved or witnessed the event, is helpful.
Keep a copy of the complaint for your records and forward the original to IOA.
Patients can raise a variety of complaints. Among the complaints patients can raise are:
-verbal, physical, psychological, emotional or sexual abuse;
-failing to seek consent for treatment;
-failing to maintain the standard of practice expected of members of the manual osteopathy profession;
-discontinuing needed care without arranging for alternative services;
-giving out information about a patient without the patient's consent;
-failing to advise a patient to consult another health professional when the manual osteopath knows the patient's condition is beyond his/her scope of practice or competence;
-failing to advise about the fee structure prior to treatment; misleading advertising;
-providing unnecessary services; and
-practising manual osteopathy while incapacitated or impaired.
Discipline
International Osteopathic Association makes final decisions based on the evidence presented and imposes penalties, including reprimands, suspension of licenses and, in serious cases, revocation of licenses. The maximum penalty IOA may impose under is revocation of a licence with no possibility of reinstatement for five years. Discipline decisions, except for findings of sexual abuse, remain on the public register for six years. Sexual abuse findings remain on the public register permanently.
Members: The Complaints Process
International Osteopathic Association is obliged to give the member an opportunity to respond to the complaint. Therefore, the complainant's authorization is sought to release the complaint to the manual osteopath.
IOA sends a copy of the complaint and authorization to the manual osteopath in question, who is asked to respond. A copy of the manual osteopath's response is then sent to the complainant for comments, if any.
It is the responsibility of IOA to ensure that a fair and thorough investigation of each complaint is conducted and that an appropriate decision is made based on the results of the investigation. An investigator will collect all relevant information by obtaining and reviewing relevant records and documents and by interviewing the complainant, member and any other related persons. IOA will then review the investigator's report.
IOA provides a written decision on formal complaints. It may decide to take any of the following action:
-discipline the member;
-caution the member;
-dismiss the allegations;
-take any other action it considers appropriate that is not inconsistent with the regulations or by-laws of the IOA.