The decree on cross-credentials in osteopathy has been signed. It was announced by Cristina Rinaldi of the Directorate-General for Health Professions at the Italian Ministry of Health during the roundtable at the 11th National Congress of the Registry Osteopaths d’Italia. The news was welcomed with satisfaction by those present in the room.
The forthcoming publication of the decree in the Official Gazette represents a decisive milestone, enabling the recognition of prior credentials, the activation of the special registers, the establishment of the professional Registry, and the full recognition of the osteopathy profession, marking a historic step forward for the field. It will also provide a strong impetus for the development of university-level education, the implementation of the compensatory measures foreseen by the agreement, and the promotion of the inclusion of educators in the core disciplinary areas within the training system. This is especially meaningful for universities that have already launched or are preparing to launch osteopathy degree programs.
“The news of the imminent publication of the decree is a very important development that has been eagerly awaited for years by our entire professional community,” stated Mauro Longobar, president of the ROI – Registry Osteopaths of Italy. “We would like to thank the Ministry of Health, the institutions involved, and all the stakeholders who contributed to the completion of this path, which finally opens a new phase for Italian osteopathy. Today the objective is not only to finalize the regulation of the profession but also to promote a more concrete integration of the osteopath within the National Health Service, recognizing his contribution at all levels of prevention, fostering transdisciplinary dialogue with other health professions, the excellence of training, and the transition to university study programs.”
At the roundtable, attendees included Cristina Rinaldi of the Directorate-General for Health Professions of the Ministry of Health, Daniele Gianfrilli, secretary of the National University Council, Diego Catania, president of the National Federation of Orders TSRM and PSTRP, Elsa Del Bo, secretary of the National Federation of Orders of the Profession of Midwifery (FNOPO), Tiziana Rossetto, president of the National Commission for the Register of Speech Therapists, Angelo Giovanni Mazzali, treasurer of the National Federation of Italian Physiotherapist Orders (FNOFI), Daniela Addis, president of the National Commission for the Register of Health Assistants, and Lorena Martini, director of the UOC “ECM Training” at AGENAS.
“With the full recognition of the regulatory pathway for the osteopath’s professional figure, university training enters fully as an enabling path to the profession,” said Daniele Gianfrilli. “The university system is ready to face this challenge, ensuring high standards of quality both in theory and in practice.”
“We are on the eve of establishing the future osteopaths’ register commissions at the territorial orders, a historic moment for a health profession that has fought so hard to be recognized,” declared Diego Catania. “Osteopaths have completed the entire path laid out by the process. We now await the Official Gazette publication of the decree to proceed with the establishment of the special registers to exhaust osteopaths within the Orders of the technical, rehabilitation, and prevention health professions. From entry into the special list, the professional will have six years to complete the pathway to obtain the state-recognized enabling title.”
“I believe our professions will be able to collaborate effectively precisely thanks to the role that will be played by the two federations,” affirmed Angelo Giovanni Mazzali. “The future will increasingly require the ability to integrate and engage in interdisciplinary dialogue, a collaboration founded on clarity of roles.”
On the topic of collaboration between osteopathy and other health professionals, Elsa Del Bo also weighed in: “The midwife is the figure who most of all safeguards the physiology of birth, in a setting where the body of the woman and the newborn undergo profound changes. In the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, osteopathy has already proven to be a valuable resource.”
“Training is a strategic resource for safeguarding health,” stated Tiziana Rossetto. “This new profession entering the healthcare landscape, after completing its regulatory path and defining the legal framework, is now called to face a new challenge: invest with great commitment in the training pathway.”
Lorena Martini explained: “The integration of osteopathy into the clinical practice of healthcare professionals does not imply overlapping roles, but rests on a collaborative model oriented toward patient-centered care. Working in teams improves the effectiveness of interventions, reduces the risk of fragmented treatments, and fosters a more complete view of functional problems.” “Building a system capable of anticipating needs, rather than chasing them, is today a shared responsibility. Only through prevention and integration will we be able to adequately address the challenges ahead,” concluded Daniela Addis.
Abbonati a Karla Miller
