Case-based discussion: learning and engaging with peers

Sarah trained at the British School of Osteopathy (BSO) and worked in the UK until she moved to New Zealand, where she has worked for 16 years.

“I split my practice between treating people and animals, mainly horses and dogs. As in the UK, we are required to do CPD for our Annual Practising Certificate (APC). The case-based discussion was proactive and interactive, providing an ideal platform to learn from colleagues working in different environments, without having to meet face-to-face, which can be difficult to organise. This was a very safe environment for us to discuss cases we had dealt with, where things hadn’t gone quite to plan.

The webinar provided instructions on how to approach helping the other practitioner to reflect on what they had done, and how they would goabout things differently next time. Reviewers were encouraged to ask ‘why, what, how’ questions, rather than the listener saying ‘I would have done it this way’. We have used case-based discussion in our peer groups but not in such a precise and structured way. So the guidelines given in the webinar and on the new CPD site, will be used to make our peer groups more effective and will also enable us to link learning points to the four OPS themes, which had not always been done previously. The case I discussed for the webinar was about a client who had been referred by a specialist and had already seen numerous professions including an osteopath.

The patient wanted to get better but had not heeded past knowledge or advice and help given to him. After the discussions and learning from the webinar, my colleague used these reviewing techniques to help me reflect on areas where I could have chosen a different pathway in order to get a different response from the patient. Highlighted too was the fact that you cannot help and solve every patient’s complaint or other psychosocial problems. So we also discussed the boundaries for treatment. When we took this to the group, it emerged that other people had held similar discussions. Sharing and discussing a case in this

way, provided confidence and strength to me. I feel that if I have a patient with similar issues in the future, I will be better equipped to deal with it and provide a better service for the client.”