Shaping the future of osteopathic medicine through education: The TEaCH OME Task Force leads the way in digital health and AI integration

By now, it should be no secret that the spectrum of emerging technologies—artificial intelligence (AI), digital health platforms, and innovative medical devices—are transforming how we diagnose, treat and care for patients. For osteopathic physicians, whose philosophy is rooted in whole-person, patient-centered care, adapting to this new landscape is both a challenge and an opportunity. The AOIA’s Digital Health Innovation Community of Practice (DHI CoP) has gathered the foremost experts in the osteopathic community to collaboratively respond to this new paradigm.

From the very beginning, a key objective of DHI CoP has been expanding digital health integration and training opportunities in osteopathic medical education. Recognizing this, the Technology, Education and Changing Healthcare in Osteopathic Medical Education & Practice (TEaCH OME) Task Force was launched to focus on leadership, strategy and collaboration to ensure our students and the future of the osteopathic profession continue to thrive in a digital future.

Why TEaCH OME exists

TEaCH OME is a strategic collaboration between the AOA and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM), and is chaired by May Lin, DO, the AACOM liaison to the AOIA Digital Health Innovation (DHI) Steering Committee, along with co-chairs Sarah Wolff, DO, and Ravi Yarid, DO, who are members of the DHI Steering Committee. The task force’s goal is to prepare osteopathic educators, students and leaders to not only keep pace with rapidly advancing technologies but to also do so while preserving the ethical and humanistic foundation of osteopathic medicine.

According to Dr. Lin, innovation is the foundation of osteopathic medicine and a core principle of the profession. As health care becomes increasingly dependent on technology for transactional efficiency, the foundational principles of human-centered and relational osteopathic care will be in even higher demand by our patients.

With a clear charge, TEaCH OME is working to ensure that future DOs are technologically proficient and prepared to deliver high-quality, patient-centered care in a health care landscape increasingly influenced by AI and digital innovations. AACOM’s CEO and President Robert Cain, DO, says, “Empowering this and future generations of students to ‘DO right’ by patients in digital health and emerging technologies is critical to ensuring osteopathic physicians are leaders and strong advocates for the ethical use of technology in their future practice.”

A strategic priority for the profession

Adoption of emerging technologies in osteopathic medical education is critical. Years ago, few colleges of osteopathic medicine featured integration of ultrasound education in their curriculum, for example. An industry-wide trend toward including ultrasound in training has benefited scores of osteopathic students by making them proficient in a diagnostic and treatment tool that is now vital to daily practice in many disciplines. Tools like AI and telemedicine are comparable or perhaps even more urgent than ultrasound when looking ahead at the next decades, yet adoption is arguably not as prevalent or enthusiastic.

For the DHI Steering Committee, TEaCH OME helps address this gap and represents a top strategic priority. According to Norman Vinn, DO, MBA, board chair of AOIA, “The distinctive value of osteopathic medicine has always been our whole-person approach to patient care. Through TEaCH OME, we’re ensuring that digital tools and AI become extensions of this philosophy rather than departures from it. This initiative will help produce osteopathic physicians who leverage technology to strengthen the osteopathic approach to patient care.”

While technology is advancing rapidly, the osteopathic profession must deliberately shape how these tools are integrated into education and practice. TEaCH OME’s work is designed to ensure that the “right voices” are at the table—including representatives from AACOM, the AOA, AOIA, the American Osteopathic Foundation (AOF) and leaders from colleges of osteopathic medicine (COMs).

Kathleeen Creason, CEO of the AOA, states, “The TEaCH OME task force directly advances the AOA’s mission by ensuring our distinctive whole-person approach remains central as we embrace health care technology. By supporting this collaboration with AACOM, we’re enhancing the value of membership through cutting-edge resources while protecting what makes osteopathic medicine unique. This initiative will equip our 197,000 DOs and students to leverage digital tools that improve access and affordability of care without sacrificing the human connection that defines our profession. In the digital age, our support of TEaCH OME isn’t just strategic—it’s essential to fulfilling our commitment to osteopathic distinctiveness.”

This collaborative approach identifies shared institutional needs, develops cohesive approaches and strengthens the profession’s influence in digital health policy, education and innovation discussions.

What TEaCH OME will deliver

Over the next few years, TEaCH OME aims to enhance osteopathic medical education and practice in collaboration with key osteopathic stakeholders and strategic partners through these evolving initiatives:

• Core competency framework: Shaping a digital health and AI competency guide aligned with osteopathic principles—helping COMs, educators and practitioners thoughtfully integrate technology while preserving a whole-person care approach
• Educational resource repository: Cultivating a growing collection of learning modules, faculty development tools and training resources for students, residents and practicing physicians
• State of the industry perspective: Exploring current digital health technology adoption within osteopathic medicine and identifying potential growth opportunities across the profession

A call to action

Help TEaCH OME lead the osteopathic profession forward by joining our efforts in several ways:

• Share your feedback in our comprehensive assessment of digital health education across COMs to help identify gaps and shape future resources
• Submit your interest form to become part of our initiative
• Participate in our educational events, including webinars and expert Q&A sessions on implementing digital health tools (now integrated with the AOIA Digital Health Innovation Community of Practice CME series)
• Lend your expertise to curriculum development, especially if you have experience with AI, telemedicine or digital health technologies
• Look for key takeaways from the AACOM Educating Leaders Conference that took place recently. The conference featured an AI workshop that included panels and interactive discussion sessions in collaboration with AOIA and SOMA.

The future is now

As the health care environment rapidly transforms, TEaCH OME is ensuring the osteopathic profession is not only prepared but also positioned to lead. By fostering technological proficiency grounded in the core tenets of the osteopathic philosophy, TEaCH OME is bridging the gap between tradition and innovation.

Now is the time for the osteopathic community to unite, lend our voices, and build an educational foundation that empowers the next generation of DOs to provide compassionate, technologically advanced and patient-centered care.

To learn more or get involved, stay tuned for updates from AOIA, AOA, AACOM and the TEaCH OME Task Force. Together, we can ensure that osteopathic medicine thrives in the digital age.

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