PhD Project - Evaluating Osteopathic Care through Practice-Based Clinical Data Collection: Leveraging the NCOR Research Network
Applications for this PhD project are now open. The deadline for applications is 6 April 2026.
The NCOR Research Network (NCOR-RN) has been operational for 2.5 years following a £100,000 infrastructure investment and is now transitioning from pilot to operational phase. This established infrastructure provides a unique opportunity to conduct systematic clinical data collection across osteopathic practices to evaluate patient outcomes and the value of osteopathic care.
Practice-Based Research Networks (PBRNs) represent a critical mechanism for generating real-world evidence, yet systematic data collection regarding osteopathic interventions and common symptom presentations remains limited. This project will utilise the existing NCOR-RN infrastructure to capture comprehensive clinical data that addresses both profession-wide evidence needs and educational objectives.
Project Contact:
Dr Jerry Draper-Rodi
Email: jerry.draper-rodi@hsu.ac.uk
Details
This research aims to implement systematic clinical data collection through NCOR-RN to evaluate osteopathic care outcomes across diverse patient presentations and interventions. The project will utilise the existing infrastructure to capture patient perception data alongside objective outcomes, establishing an evidence base for osteopathic practice.
Specifically, the research will assess the effectiveness of osteopathic care through rigorous analysis of real-world clinical data, creating a sustainable research-practice integration model that generates actionable evidence for practitioners, educators, and policymakers.
The research will employ a mixed methods approach to clinical data collection through the established NCOR-RN infrastructure. Initial phases will involve consultation with osteopaths who are NCOR-RN members and with patients to identify priority clinical presentations and outcome measures.
Subsequently, the project will implement enhanced data collection protocols within NCOR-RN that capture meaningful clinical and patient-reported outcomes whilst ensuring General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliance.
The research will analyse longitudinal clinical data to evaluate patient outcomes across different osteopathic interventions and symptom presentations. Practitioner engagement strategies and data quality metrics will be evaluated to optimise participation and ensure robust data collection.
Patient and public involvement will be integrated throughout to ensure outcome measures reflect patient priorities and the patient voice is meaningfully incorporated in the research process.
The research will generate a comprehensive evidence base regarding osteopathic care effectiveness across common clinical presentations, utilising real-world data collected through NCOR-RN. Key outputs will include peer-reviewed publications reporting clinical outcomes, evidence-based guidance for osteopathic practitioners, and resources supporting communication with patients and healthcare colleagues.
The project will establish protocols for sustained clinical data collection beyond the PhD period, ensuring the NCOR-RN infrastructure continues to generate valuable evidence. Academic outputs will advance understanding of practice-based research methodologies and osteopathic care outcomes, contributing to both the osteopathic literature and broader musculoskeletal health research.
This research will have significant academic, professional, and societal impact. Academically, it will contribute methodological insights regarding PBRN data collection and advance evidence regarding osteopathic care outcomes.
For the osteopathic profession, it will provide robust evidence supporting clinical practice, enhance professional credibility through systematic outcome evaluation, and demonstrate research career pathways for osteopaths. Patients will benefit from improved understanding of osteopathic care effectiveness and evidence-based practice development that incorporates patient perspectives.
The research addresses NCOR’s strategic mission to develop research capacity within osteopathy and generate evidence for osteopathic practice, whilst maintaining connection between research and clinical practice. Beyond immediate outputs, the clinical data collected will create lasting value for the profession, supporting evidence-based communication with allied health professionals and NHS colleagues.
Funding 
Fully funded PhD with stipend. Stipend will match the UKRI rate each year (currently £21,805). This project is available to UK students only due to the requirement for General Osteopathic Council registration and direct engagement with UK-based osteopathic practitioners participating in NCOR-RN. The project is suitable for remote study but requires regular interaction with the NCOR Research Network participating osteopaths.
Availability
Available to both UK and International students
Potential Supervisors
- Dr Jerry Draper-Rodi
- Dr Carol Fawkes
- Dr Daniel Bailey
References
• Draper-Rodi, J., Fawkes, C. and Bailey, D., 2025. Development of a National osteopathic Practice-Based research network (PBRN): the NCOR research network. Scientific Reports, 15(1), p.26396.
• Bailey, D., Fawkes, C., Carnes, D. and Draper-Rodi, J., 2025. The development of the National Council for Osteopathic Research-Research Network (NCOR-RN): A qualitative focus group study of osteopaths’ views. International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine, 55, p.100742.
• Fawkes, C. and Carnes, D., 2021. Patient reported outcomes in a large cohort of patients receiving osteopathic care in the United Kingdom. PLoS One, 16(4), p.e0249719.
• Plunkett, A., Fawkes, C. and Carnes, D., 2022. Osteopathic practice in the United Kingdom: a retrospective analysis of practice data. PLoS One, 17(7), p.e0270806.
• Bailey, D., Fawkes, C. and Draper-Rodi, J., 2025. From guidelines to practice: collective learning through clinical audit of the IFOMPT cervical framework. International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine, p.100807.
• Bailey, D., Fawkes, C. and Draper-Rodi, J., 2025. Differences in practice among osteopaths in the UK with more than or less than 10 years of experience: a cross-sectional study. BMJ open, 15(9), p.e095191.
• Vaucher, P., Carnes, D., Hohenschurz-Schmidt, D., Thomson, O., Vogel, S., Arienti, C., Bright, P., Bustins, G.A., Esteves, J., Esteves, N.K. and Fawkes, C., 2025. European research Priorities for Osteopathic Care (PROCare): a sequential exploratory investigation and survey. BMJ open, 15(10), p.e100757.
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