The Ministry of Health published this Sunday, September 14 the decree n ° 2014-1043 establishing the procedure and conditions for approving training establishments in osteopathy.
This government initiative was very positively received by the French Syndicate of Osteopaths (SFDO), which declared in a press release that “an important step in the overhaul of the training system for osteopaths has just been taken” with this decree, which “improves the quality of training”. The union also added that this text “testifies to the government’s desire to better supervise the training of osteopaths. “
Harmonization and control of osteopathic training represent a demand of the profession for more than six years, in order to allow the excellence of the practice and to standardize the diplomas.
France now has no less than 18,000 osteopaths, against only 4,000 in 2002. The explosion in the number of practitioners and training establishments in recent years has raised fears of a deterioration in the quality of care and hence a lack of credibility.
From now on, more than 24 criteria will be necessary to hope to obtain the authorization to issue the title of osteopath, enough to reassure practitioners and patients on the practice. For example, the premises will have to be dedicated to training, the school director will have to justify the title of osteopath and training in management, and the teachers will have to prove professional experience as an osteopath in at least five years.
Resulting from consultations between the Minister of Health Marisol Touraine and the unions in 2013, the decree entered into force on Monday, the day after its publication in the Official Journal. A second decree is expected in the coming weeks, in order to define more precisely the content of the training.
