Osteopathy Research Connect - New Zealand (ORC-NZ) was established in 2019.
ORC-NZ is a practice-based research network (PBRN) exclusively focused on osteopathy-related issues.
In 2024, in partnership with ONZ, ORC-NZ established a national research initiative: The Osteopathic Health System Research Programme.
The aim of the Osteopathic Health System Research Programme is to:
Building research capacity within the osteopathic profession in Aotearoa.
Promoting evidence-based practice to enhance professional credibility and patient outcomes.
Facilitating collaboration between practitioners, academics, students, and external research bodies.
Aligning research efforts with ONZ’s strategic pou (e.g. professional recognition, healthcare integration, cultural responsiveness).
This research programme ensures that osteopathic research in New Zealand is relevant, inclusive, and has a practical impact on the profession’s future.
ORC-NZ brings together key organisations, including:
To develop a culture of research within the New Zealand osteopathic profession by:
Reviewing and mapping osteopathy’s position within the NZ health system
Identifying and facilitating the uptake of relevant research
Ensuring research is recognised as a strategic priority within the profession
Enabling osteopaths to lead and participate in their own research
Engaging clinicians to co-create research questions that are patient- and clinician-centred
To develop the capacity of the osteopathic profession to engage with, conduct, and apply research—thereby enhancing patient care and professional practice.
Strategic Leadership & Collaboration: Strengthen connections with national and international research networks
Engagement & Education: Promote research literacy and confidence among osteopaths
Communication: Share findings, priorities, and opportunities transparently and accessibly
Development: Support osteopaths at all stages of their research journey
Sustainability: Embed research into the fabric of the profession for long-term impact
Representing Osteopaths in
Aotearoa, New Zealand
Tel 09 419 0450
Email info@osteopathsnz.co.nz
Address PO Box 65503
Browns Bay
Auckland 0754, New Zealand
