Establishing international expert consensus on core competencies and best practices in osteopathic education: a modified Delphi study protocol.

Abstract

Osteopathic education is typically delivered through accredited higher education institutions with curricula not only varying widely but also inconsistently aligned with contemporary evidence. This lack of standardisation creates challenges in accreditation, workforce mobility and public understanding of the osteopathic role. The objective of this study aims to develop international expert consensus on core osteopathic capabilities through a structured Delphi process. This protocol describes a three-round modified Delphi study involving international experts in osteopathic education. Participants will be purposively recruited from accredited osteopathic education programmes and professional networks and must have at least 5 years' experience in osteopathic education, curriculum development or clinical supervision. A target sample of 40-60 experts will be sought. In round 1, participants will respond to open-ended questions exploring core competencies and educational priorities. Responses will be independently coded by two members of the research team using thematic analysis before being synthesised into consensus statements through investigator agreement. Rounds 2 and 3 will involve structured rating of these statements using a 4-point Likert scale with optional free-text comments to refine wording where appropriate. Descriptive statistics will be used to determine consensus, assess stability between rounds and guide item retention. Ethics approval for this study was obtained from the RMIT University Human Research Ethics Committee, Australia (2025-29731-30793). Participation is voluntary and pseudo-anonymous, with informed consent obtained electronically. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations and to professional bodies to support curriculum alignment, accreditation processes and international dialogue on capability development.