AOA Delegates Establish Healthcare Policies at Annual Business Meeting

7/22/2003

From: Kelletta Blackburn of the American Osteopathic Association, 800-621-1773, ext. 8045 or 312-202-8040

CHICAGO, Ill., July 22 -- Osteopathic physicians (D.O.s) and osteopathic medical students at the American Osteopathic Association's (AOA) annual House of Delegates meeting voted on issues concerning mobile infant walkers; limiting the treatment, diagnosis and prescription of medication online; and providing sterile syringes to intravenous (I.V.) drug abusers

The delegates voted to support a ban on mobile infant walkers. According to the decision made by the delegates, use of walkers can increase the risk of injury or death and have not been proven to assist an infant in learning to walk. Furthermore, studies show that use of mobile infant walkers may delay an infant's normal motor and mental development. According to statistics received from the American Academy of Pediatrics, mobile infant walkers have been responsible for 34 deaths from 1973-1998. In addition, over 8,000 children under 15 months of age were treated in emergency rooms in the United States in 1999 for injuries associated with mobile infant walkers.

Delegates voted to take a stance on limiting the treatment, diagnosis and prescription of medication online. The decision by the delegates requires that online treatment, diagnosis and prescriptions over the Internet be reserved for instances in which a clear doctor/patient relationship has previously been established. The decision also calls for state and legislative action that supports the reimbursement by insurance and other third-party providers for appropriate services utilizing online technology and for states to adopt strict standards to protect the confidentiality of any medical information that is transmitted through electronic means.

The delegates voted to approve the distribution of sterile syringes and needles to I.V. drug users to help abate the spread of hepatitis and HIV/AIDS. The delegates reviewed the results of a study, which cited that cities in the United States that have embarked on a trial program of supplying sterile syringes and needles to I.V. abusers have experienced a decline in the number of reported hepatitis and HIV/AIDS cases. In addition, the delegates took into consideration that such diseases are communicable and have spread to others who are not I.V. drug abusers and that the distribution of sterile syringes may encourage abusers to more readily seek medical treatment.

Also at the meeting, the AOA voted to:

-- Support adding a clinical skills assessment to the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX), the exam all graduates of osteopathic medical schools take to qualify for licensure.

-- Develop strategies to identify and prevent common errors in patient care that occur in physician offices.

-- Encourage all women on methadone maintenance and in stable recovery from drug and alcohol abuse to exclusively breastfeed their children.

-- Support the immediate HIV testing and expeditious reporting of results for all newborns whose mothers' HIV status is unknown.

-- Encourage the Motion Picture Association of America to reduce the use of tobacco products in films. The delegates acknowledged that tobacco use in films usually enhances the product without depicting its adverse consequences.

In addition, attendees at the meeting welcomed Darryl A. Beehler, D.O., of Detroit Lakes, Minn., as the 2003-2004 AOA President. Dr. Beehler will devote his year as president to honoring the osteopathic family's mentors throughout the country and emphasizing the importance of D.O.s mentoring future osteopathic physicians.

George Thomas, D.O., has been instilled as the AOA's 2003-2004 President-Elect. Dr. Thomas resides in Euclid, OH, where he is the Medical Director of Care Management and Quality at Marymount Hospital, which is an affiliate of the Cleveland Clinic Health Systems.

For more information about news and policies from the AOA's House of Delegates meeting, visit the AOA Web site at http://www.aoa-net.org and click on "Media Center."

The AOA's House of Delegates, comprised of more than 500 D.O.s and osteopathic medical students from across the country, meets annually in July to set organizational policies and elect new officers.

The AOA represents approximately 49,000 D.O.s, promotes public health, encourages scientific research, serves as the primary certifying body for D.O.s, and is the accrediting agency for all osteopathic medical colleges and health care facilities.