AOA Policy Compendium
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AMERICAN OSTEOPATHIC ASSOCIATION POLICY COMPENDIUM 2015 The American Osteopathic Association’s House of Delegates is the policy-making body of the osteopathic profession. Each year at its annual meeting, the House considers policy statements submitted by departments, bureaus, committees, divisional societies, affiliated societies, or the AOA Board of Trustees. The full texts of policy statements adopted by the AOA House of Delegates are noted in the Policy Compendium. The numbering of the AOA policies is noted by the following example: H200-A/08 ACCUPUNCTURE H AOA House of Delegates 200 AOA Resolution Number A/08 Meeting the Resolution was acted on (2008 Annual Meeting) A short title for each statement has been adopted for ease of reference. By action of the AOA Board of Trustees in July 1979, the AOA Council on Policy (formerly the Committee on Health Related Policies) will review all AOA policy guidelines relating to healthcare, health planning, and health delivery at least every five years and recommend affirmation, revision, or deletion to the AOA House of Delegates. Note: Effective June 14, 2001, the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) agency was renamed. It is now the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). H200-A/05 COMMITTEE ON HEALTH RELATED POLICIES MISSION STATEMENT Policies of the American Osteopathic Association which have not been subject to review within five years from their adoption date or last revision be automatically reviewed; and in any AOA position statement the "Whereas" statements are considered as explanatory and only the "Resolved" statements will be published as official AOA policy. 1990; revised 1995; reaffirmed 2000, revised 2005 H604-A/12 HOUSE OF DELEGATES RESOLUTIONS All Resolution authors are encouraged to create “Resolved” statements that make clear the intent of the House even when the “Whereas” statements are removed; the American Osteopathic Association House of Delegates authorized the AOA staff to make editorial changes as needed to resolutions passed by the House so that when resolutions are integrated into the Policy Compendium, the intent of the House remains clear; and the AOA will maintain on file a copy of the complete resolution as approved by the AOA House of Delegates. 2012 H-605-A/12 SUNSETTING POLICIES For all policies due for sunset review, the American Osteopathic Association House of Delegates shall be provided a brief policy summary to include all of the following: the actual policy being reviewed, what action that AOA has taken to implement the policy and the results of that action. 2012 H337-A/14 ABUSE OF PERFORMANCE ENHANCING SUBSTANCE AND PROCEDURES The American Osteopathic Association: (1) supports efforts to eliminate the abuse of performance enhancing substances, know as doping, for the purpose of enhancing athletic performance or physical appearance; (2) supports the efforts of the United States Anti- Doping Agency (USADA) and its program in accordance with the World Anti-Doping (WADA) code and the WADA International Standards (IST) to protect clean athletes and ensure their rights to compete on a fair and level playing field, free from the pressures of performance enhancing drugs; and (3) encourages education of athletes, the public and physicians of the dangers of these substances. 1989, revised 1994, 1999, revised 2004; reaffirmed as amended 2009; reaffirmed as amended 2014 H414-A/12 ABUSED PERSONS The American Osteopathic Association continues to encourage its membership to participate in programs designed for the treatment of the abused and the rehabilitation of the abuser and will continue to encourage public health agencies to provide special training in: advocacy for abused persons; effective assessment and intervention techniques to assist those in abuse situations; legal procedures; special needs of young and elderly, building links with local shelters, and related community resources. 1982; revised 1987; reaffirmed 1992, 1997; revised 2002; reaffirmed 2007; 2012 H210-A/11 ACADEMIC OSTEOPATHIC EDUCATORS, RESEARCHERS OR ADMINISTRATORS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT The American Osteopathic Association encourages colleges of osteopathic medicine to collaborate and develop with other institutions a master’s level medical education program that is available during or after the completion of an osteopathic medical training program that will prepare osteopathic physicians for future academic careers as educators, researchers and administrators. 2011 H203-A/11 ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE – DEVELOPING A NEW MODEL OF ADMINISTERING OSTEOPATHIC PRIMARY CARE RESIDENCIES IN THE UNITED STATES The American Osteopathic Association will (1) increase access to primary care through expanding innovative programs which incentivize the osteopathic medical students to enter osteopathic primary care residencies by further developing high quality, outcome based, health information technology infused, programs with a patient-centered academic system of practice and education which utilizes an integrated curriculum of a reproducible business model and standardized educational model; and (2) leverage partnerships between graduate medical education, colleges of osteopathic medicine, and government and private industry to promote initiatives to increase the number of osteopathic medical students entering osteopathic primary care residencies. 2011 H200-A/13 ACUPUNCTURE The American Osteopathic Association recognizes that acupuncture may be a part of the armamentarium of qualified and licensed physicians. 1978; reaffirmed 1983; revised 1988, 1993; reaffirmed 1998, 2003; reaffirmed 2008; reaffirmed 2013 H330-A/14 ADMINISTRATIVE FEES The American Osteopathic Association has determined that it is ethical for an osteopathic physician to charge patients fair and reasonable administrative fees as long as the patient is informed of these fees in advance, and the charging of administrative fees does not violate contractual or state law. 2004; 2009; reaffirmed as amended 2014 H301-A/12 ADMINISTRATIVE RULE-MAKING PROCESS The American Osteopathic Association supports closer federal and state legislative scrutiny of the administrative rule-making process to more effectively monitor the development of regulations and assure their conformity with expressed legislative intent. 1986; revised 1992; reaffirmed 1997; revised 2002; reaffirmed 2007; reaffirmed as amended 2012 H300-A/13 ADOLESCENTS' BILL OF RIGHTS The American Osteopathic Association advocates that all medical facilities that provide care for adolescents post an “Adolescents’ Bill of Rights” which clearly articulates state and local applicable laws of consent and confidentiality regarding health care for adolescents who have not reached the age of majority. 2003; reaffirmed 2008; reaffirmed 2013 H302-A/12 ADVANCE DIRECTIVES The American Osteopathic Association supports advance directives and will proactively assist in introducing this concept into federal legislation. 1997, revised 2002; reaffirmed 2007; reaffirmed as amended 2012 H411-A/14 ADVERTISING--INFLAMMATORY AND UNETHICAL BY ATTORNEYS The American Osteopathic Association urges the American Bar Association to encourage its members who advertise to employ high ethical standards in their public advertisements. 1989; revised 1994; reaffirmed 1999; revised 2004; reaffirmed 2009; 2014 H403-A/15 ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON IMMUNIZATION PRACTICES (ACIP) RECOMMENDATIONS -- SUPPORT FOR THE The AOA encourages osteopathic physicians consider the vaccination history as an integral part of their patient’s health record and should counsel their patients on appropriate vaccinations for their age and health conditions. Osteopathic physicians should take all reasonable steps to ensure their patients of all ages are fully immunized against vaccine preventable illnesses and make vaccine recommendations to their patients according to the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) and should not advocate alternative schedules. 2015 H403-A/13 AIRBAGS IN AUTOMOBILES The American Osteopathic Association: (1) supports the ongoing efforts of the National Safety Council (NSC), the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA), the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and other responsible safety organizations to educate the public regarding the proper use of safety belts, child safety seats and airbags; (2) urges continued corporate development and research into safer airbags; (3) encourages the National Safety Council, the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board, and other responsible safety organizations to educate the public regarding the benefits and potential dangers of airbags, and (4) urges these organizations continue to examine adult and child fatalities resulting from airbag deployment. 1993; revised 1998, 2003; revised and reaffirmed 2008; reaffirmed 2013 H412-A/15 AIRCRAFT EMERGENCY MEDICAL SUPPLIES The American Osteopathic Association supports the concept that airlines, under the control of the Federal Aviation Administration, maintain a policy for adequately equipping commercial aircraft of greater than 19 seats with at least minimal diagnostic and emergency medical supplies and supports legislation and regulation that any physician providing emergency service while on board aircraft be immune from any liability or legal action. 1984; revised 1989, 1995; reaffirmed 2000, revised 2005, reaffirmed 2010; reaffirmed as