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Profession-specific course

Ethics and Professionalism for Osteopaths in Australia

Applying the Osteopathy Board's Code to Consent, Touch, Evidence and Advertising

  • 3 CPD hoursEstimated learning time
  • 20-question assessmentPass mark 80%
  • Online, self-pacedStart any time
  • CertificateFor your CPD records

Written for

About this course

Osteopathy is a hands-on profession, and that is exactly why ethics in osteopathy is practical rather than abstract. Patients are often in pain, partially undressed and unsure what to expect. Most concerns raised about osteopaths do not involve bad intentions; they involve consent that did not keep pace with treatment, touch near a sensitive area that was never explained, a website claim that went further than the evidence, or a record that cannot show what was discussed.

This osteopathy ethics course takes the shared Code of conduct, the Osteopathy Board of Australia's Capabilities and Statement on paediatric care, Ahpra's advertising guidelines and recent National Law reforms, and turns them into habits you can use on Monday morning: plain-language risk explanations for manipulation, draping and chaperone routines, red flag and referral pathways, an advertising audit, and record templates that show your reasoning and consent.

It is written for Australian osteopaths, with Australian law, Australian settings and the co-regulatory complaint pathways in New South Wales and Queensland, so you are not translating overseas guidance into local practice.

Who this course is for

  • Registered osteopaths in private practice, multidisciplinary clinics or sports settings anywhere in Australia
  • New graduates and early-career osteopaths building safe consent and documentation habits
  • Contractors working under clinic targets who want to practise ethically within a business model
  • Clinic owners and principal osteopaths responsible for advertising, policies and team culture
  • Osteopaths returning from a break who want to refresh their understanding of the Code and recent reforms
  • Osteopaths who treat children, pregnant patients or athletes and want to check their practice against Board expectations

What you’ll learn

  • Consent that stands up

    Use structured, plain-language explanations and specific notes that show patients understood and agreed to each technique and region.

  • Boundaries you can explain

    Apply consistent undress, draping and chaperone routines and recognise the early signs of boundary drift.

  • Lawful, honest advertising

    Audit your website and social media against section 133, removing testimonials, specialist claims and unsupported conditions.

  • Confidence when concerns arise

    Know the notification pathway in your state, respond with insight and practise open disclosure when treatment causes harm.

Learning objectives

  • Explain how the National Law, the Osteopathy Board, the shared Code and the Capabilities for osteopathic practice shape your obligations.
  • Obtain and document valid, ongoing consent, including for manipulation, sensitive areas and children.
  • Manage undress, draping, chaperones and professional boundaries in a hands-on profession.
  • Communicate the strength of evidence honestly and practise within scope and competence.
  • Recognise red flags and refer or co-manage appropriately.
  • Audit advertising and social media against section 133 and Ahpra's osteopathy examples.
  • Keep records that meet the Code, privacy law and state retention requirements.
  • Respond to notifications and complaints with insight, and support colleagues and yourself.

Scenarios covered

Practice situations you reason through, step by step, in the course.

  • Consent for cervical manipulation

    How to explain the purpose, likely soreness and rare serious risks of a neck manipulation in plain language, offer alternatives and record the patient's choice.

  • Treatment near the groin or chest wall

    A step-by-step approach to explaining sensitive-area techniques, draping, offering a chaperone and checking comfort as you go.

  • A parent asking about an unsettled baby

    What the Board's Statement on paediatric care expects, how to talk honestly about evidence, and when to refer immediately.

  • A clinic website listing asthma and learning disorders

    How Ahpra's osteopathy advertising examples apply, and how to rewrite claims so they are lawful and accurate.

  • A target of twelve visits per new patient

    Balancing a contractor's commercial obligations with the Code's requirement to treat on clinical need.

  • A notification about feeling rushed and ignored

    How to respond to a concern with insight, involve your insurer and show what you have changed.

Course contents

7 sections, 28 lessons, then the final assessment.

  1. Section 1: The Regulatory Framework for Osteopaths in Australia4 lessons
    • 1.1 How Osteopathy Is Regulated
    • 1.2 Registration Standards You Renew Against
    • 1.3 The Shared Code of Conduct and the Capabilities
    • 1.4 What Goes Wrong: Notification Themes
  2. Section 2: Informed Consent in Osteopathic Practice4 lessons
    • 2.1 What Valid Consent Requires
    • 2.2 Explaining Risk, Including Spinal Manipulation
    • 2.3 Children, Young People and Impaired Capacity
    • 2.4 Financial Consent and Documenting Consent
  3. Section 3: Touch, Draping and Professional Boundaries4 lessons
    • 3.1 Why Boundaries Matter in a Hands-On Profession
    • 3.2 Undress, Draping and Sensitive Areas
    • 3.3 Chaperones, Culture and Communication
    • 3.4 Sexual Misconduct, Dual Relationships and the Law
  4. Section 4: Evidence, Scope and Clinical Reasoning4 lessons
    • 4.1 Evidence-Informed Osteopathy
    • 4.2 Red Flags, Referral and Working with Others
    • 4.3 Scope, Competence and Adjunct Techniques
    • 4.4 Cultural Safety and Equitable Care
  5. Section 5: Advertising, Social Media and Commercial Practice4 lessons
    • 5.1 Section 133 and the Advertising Guidelines
    • 5.2 Testimonials, Reviews and Social Media
    • 5.3 Commercial Pressures and Conflicts of Interest
    • 5.4 Health Funds, Medicare and Billing Integrity
  6. Section 6: Records, Privacy and Telehealth4 lessons
    • 6.1 What a Good Osteopathic Record Contains
    • 6.2 Privacy, Retention and Access
    • 6.3 Telehealth and Digital Tools
    • 6.4 Sharing Information with Third Parties
  7. Section 7: Notifications, Accountability and Wellbeing4 lessons
    • 7.1 When a Concern Is Raised
    • 7.2 Complaints, Open Disclosure and Learning
    • 7.3 Speaking Up, Supporting Colleagues and Staying Well
    • 7.4 Reflective Practice and Building a Safer Practice
  8. Final assessment and written reflection20 questions

Assessment and certificate

  1. Work through the course

    Study each section at your own pace, including the case illustrations and apply-it questions.

  2. Pass the assessment

    20 scenario-based questions. You need 16 correct (80%) to pass.

  3. Write your reflection

    A short written reflection on how the learning applies to your own practice.

  4. Download your certificate

    Shows your name, the course, the date and 3 CPD hours. Anyone can check it on our verification page.

What you keep for your CPD records

  • A certificate of completion recording approximately 3 hours of learning, to file with your CPD record
  • A written reflective account based on three osteopathy-specific prompts
  • A quick-reference guide covering consent, touch, evidence, advertising, records and concerns
  • Scripts, tables and checklists you can adapt for your clinic's consent, draping and advertising processes

How certificates and CPD records workVerify a certificate

Primary sources

The course is built on these official documents. Check them for the current version.

Questions about this course

Is this course recognised by Ahpra or the Osteopathy Board?

No. This is independent education. It is not accredited by Ahpra, it is not approved by the Osteopathy Board of Australia and it is not endorsed by any professional body. National Boards do not accredit individual CPD courses. You record the time you actually spend against your own CPD plan and decide whether the learning is relevant to your practice.

How many CPD hours do osteopaths need in Australia?

Under the Osteopathy Board's CPD registration standard, osteopaths complete 25 hours of CPD each registration year (1 December to 30 November), including at least four hours on mandatory topics, and hold a current senior first aid certificate. CPD standards are under review across the National Scheme, so check the Board's website for the current requirements.

Does this course count towards the mandatory CPD topics?

The Board's mandatory topics include the Code and National Law, informed consent, professional boundaries, advertising and social media, evidence-based practice, record keeping, confidentiality and privacy. This course covers material in each of these areas. You decide which topic or topics best describe your learning when you record it.

What do I need to tell patients about the risks of spinal manipulation?

Australian law requires you to disclose material risks: those a reasonable person in the patient's position would consider significant, or that you know this patient would consider significant. For manipulation this usually includes common post-treatment soreness and rare but serious risks, along with alternatives. The course includes a plain-language script and documentation examples.

Can I advertise that I specialise in treating babies or children?

No. Osteopathy has no specialist registration in Australia, so describing yourself as a specialist or implying specialisation is misleading. You may say you have a particular interest in an area if it is true, and you must have the education, training and competence the Board's Statement on paediatric care describes before offering that care.

Can I share patient reviews on my clinic website?

You can use non-clinical feedback, such as comments about friendly staff or easy parking. You cannot use testimonials about clinical aspects such as symptoms, treatment or outcomes, including reviews you copy or share onto pages you control.

Will this course satisfy a condition or undertaking on my registration?

Not automatically. Only Ahpra or the Board can decide whether a course meets a condition or undertaking. If you have one, check with Ahpra or the Board, and your lawyer or insurer, before enrolling for that purpose.

How long does the course take and how is it assessed?

It is designed to take about three hours, including reading, reflection points, a written reflective account and a 20-question scenario-based assessment with a pass mark of 16 out of 20. You can work at your own pace and return to sections before attempting the assessment.