The Osteopathic Practitioners Estimates and RAtes (OPERA) project is an online, international survey designed to collect data from osteopathic practitioners worldwide. Its primary objective is to generate reliable workforce estimates and benchmarks for the osteopathic profession. The overarching vision of OPERA is to make osteopathic workforce data publicly accessible in order to support transparency and evidence-informed decision-making.

OPERA is a project of Non-profit Foundation C.O.ME. Collaboration (www.comecollaboration.org), and adopts a collaborative approach by working closely with local professionals, professional associations, educational institutions, and other relevant organisations. This inclusive strategy is based on the premise that comprehensive participation across countries will facilitate greater comparability and harmonisation of key osteopathic characteristics relevant to patients, practitioners, institutions, stakeholders, and policymakers. Such harmonisation is expected to be supported by data transparency and to contribute to meaningful professional and policy-level impacts.

National Projects information

OPERA Active!

CANADA

OPERA Completed!

Expected impact

The OPERA project aims to provide an accurate and comprehensive representation of the current global status of the osteopathic profession. By identifying growth trends and describing the geographical distribution of osteopathic practitioners across individual countries and national territories, the project will generate robust workforce intelligence. These findings are expected to directly inform the development and implementation of national and international health policies, particularly in relation to activities led by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The data collected will be of fundamental importance for initiatives undertaken by national and international organisations seeking to define and codify a consistent, accurate, and unified osteopathic professional profile. Collectively, these outcomes will provide a solid, data-driven foundation for informed dialogue with policymakers and key stakeholders.

Aims

The initiative aims to:

• Estimate the current size and distribution of the osteopathic profession;
• Describe the practice characteristics and patient profile of a typical osteopathic clinical practice, as well as the training and skills of its practitioners;
• Define the scope and role of osteopathy within national public health systems;
• Support informed policy and strategic decision-making by professional associations, statutory regulatory authorities, governmental bodies, and academic institutions;
• Promote reflective professional practice and enable the use of nationally collected data as benchmarks for setting realistic and achievable goals for professional development and improvement.