DPC News | Author: Zachary K. West, DO | Article Link: Click Here
I recently returned from Scottsdale, Arizona having attended the American College of Osteopathic Internist (ACOI) 2024 Convention. The ACOI is a national medical association representing osteopathic physicians who specialize in internal medicine and the organization serves over 10,000 current and aspiring internists and subspecialists. The theme for the 2024 Convention was “Art to Health: Health, Humanities and Osteopathic Internal Medicine”. The event offered a wide array of programming that included thought-provoking keynotes and important clinical updates in a variety of subspecialty areas.
I joined the ACOI as a medical student and following residency I became a member of the Osteopathic Integration Working Group; a committee within the organization that works to promote osteopathic principles and practices. In 2021 I was awarded the honorary degree of Fellow in the American College of Osteopathic Internists.
I had the honor of being invited to lead two lectures at ACOI’s 2024 Convention for the first time in my professional career. One lecture was for student and resident attendees and the other was for physician attendees. I was able to present on osteopathic principles and the integration of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) in common internal medicine patient presentations.
A common question asked of me was how I was able to successfully incorporate OMT into my practice? The modern big healthcare system often treats OMT as something not of value to the overall care of the patient. I was even once advised by a potential for-profit big healthcare employer that they did not want me to perform any OMT as they felt I was more profitable to the organization bycompleting additional patient encounters per hour. Rather ironic considering I had even specialized and was board certified in osteopathic manipulative medicine. I obviously decided not to work for that organization.
The answer to aforementioned question granted me the opportunity to share about direct primary care. DPC provides physicians the opportunity to fully practice their craft; including any specialized skills we might bring in the care of patients. As a DPC physician, I have the ability to extend to my patients the skills and knowledge I have worked to attain and I am able to seamlessly incorporate elements, including OMT, into the overall care patients every single day. I do not have employer mandated productivity benchmarks, billing and coding concerns, insurance company dictates, etc. I simply provide pure and honest, holistic medical care to patients. Such a holistic approach resonates with the philosophy of osteopathic medicine.
It was an honor to be able to speak at the ACOI 2024 Convention and I wish to express a sincere thank you to the organization for the opportunity.
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