UNITE

What is UNITE?

UNITE stands for UNIfying Osteopathic Identity Towards European Standards.

UNITE will produce a shared description of osteopathic professional identity. In plain words, this means what defines osteopathy and what it means to be an osteopath. Osteopathy Europe (OE) will use the results to inform the revision of the European standard for osteopathic healthcare provision.

The study uses the Delphi method. In a Delphi study, a group of experts give their views in several rounds. Between rounds, they see the group’s results. This continues until it is clear where people agree and where they do not.

Here, an expert is a person with real experience of osteopathy from their own point of view. Patients are experts in what it is like to receive osteopathic care.

UNITE is run by the Centre for Osteopathic Research and Leadership (CORaL) at Health Sciences University in the UK, with OE and its Research Standing Committee.

Why does it matter?

The European standard EN 16686 describes osteopathic healthcare provision. It is due to be revised. The revision goes through national standards institutes, and OE supports the process for the profession. OE will use the results of UNITE to inform its preparatory work on the revision.

The results will be stronger if every country and every group is heard. That is why we need your help.

Who can take part and what does it involve?

You can take part if you are 18 or over, can read and write in one of the eight study languages, and belong to one of these groups:

• Practising osteopaths and osteopathic physicians: you have seen patients as an osteopath in the past 12 months. You are registered or licensed where this is required in your country. Where it is not required, you are a member of a recognised national osteopathic association.
• Educators and researchers: you currently teach, supervise or assess osteopathic students, or you do research on osteopathy as part of your work. You work in a recognised osteopathic programme, a university or a research institution.
• Students: you are enrolled in a programme that leads to qualification as an osteopath. Students in all years are welcome.
• Patients and carers: you have received osteopathic care, or accompanied a child or an adult to an osteopathic appointment as their carer, in the past 12 months. You are not an osteopath or an osteopathic student yourself.
• Association representatives: you hold a leadership or policy role in an osteopathic professional association.
• Regulators and other healthcare professionals: you are a healthcare regulator, or another healthcare professional who works with osteopaths. These two groups join at Stage 2.

If you belong to more than one group, the form asks you to choose the one group that best describes the view you want to contribute.

What happens and when

• Now: complete the expression of interest form.
• From 10 November 2026, Stage 1: a small number of people, selected to balance groups, regions and gender, answer open questions in writing, online.
• Early 2027, Stage 2: everyone who is eligible and completed the form is invited to rate statements in online questionnaires.
• 2027: the results inform OE’s preparatory work on the revision of EN 16686.

Taking part is voluntary. The form explains the study and how your answers will be used before you decide.

How are people selected?

First, we check that each person meets the conditions for their group. Then, for Stage 1, we select people to balance groups, regions and gender.

Not everyone who completes the form will be selected for Stage 1. Everyone who is eligible will be invited to Stage 2, where the number of voices from each country matters most.

Languages

The study runs in eight languages: Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Russian. The expression of interest form is available in all eight.

Participants answer in one of the eight study languages, even if the invitation reached them in another language.

Ethics and data protection

The study has ethical approval (reference SREP 062026-01, granted on 15 June 2026) from Health Sciences University UCO SoO research ethics committee.

Who is behind UNITE?

UNITE is run by CORaL at Health Sciences University (UK), with Osteopathy Europe and its Research Standing Committee. It is funded by Osteopathy Europe.

Project team

Steering group

Help us spread the word

Please share UNITE with your members, colleagues, students and patients. You can use these materials.

• Template A: invitation from an association to its member osteopaths, with a request to invite patients: template-A-association-to-members
• Template B: note to schools and universities, with a message to forward to staff, researchers and students: template-B-schools-and-universities
• Template C: invitation for patients and carers: template-C-patients-and-carers
• Template D: short texts for newsletters, websites and social media: template-D-short-texts
• Flyer/poster for waiting room: UNITE_Patient_Recruitment_Poster_A5_Editable
• UNITE logo: UNITE logo

Please send the invitation to all your members, not to selected individuals.