MD or DO? It’s All the Same in the Hospital Room, Study Finds

New research asserts that allopathic and osteopathic physicians' quality and cost of care in hospital settings are virtually identical

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An age-old debate quietly rumbles on in the hushed corridors of hospitals across the nation. Which qualification is best: MD (doctor of medicine) or DO (doctor of osteopathic medicine)?

A recent study, monumental in its scope, dared to ask this question, delving into more than 300,000 Medicare hospital cases. The verdict was startling: When it comes to the quality and cost of care in a hospital setting, MDs and DOs provide the same value.

Unveiling the Intricacies of the Study

With support from the National Institute on Aging, a diverse team of researchers from various institutions rolled up their sleeves and joined hands. Their shared mission? To explore the potential ties between a doctor’s type of medical degree and how it might reflect the quality and cost of care they offer hospitalized patients.

Adopting a retrospective observational design, the researchers ventured into the depths of Medicare fee-for-service data. The data were meticulously selected, focusing on a random 20 percent sample of beneficiaries hospitalized with medical conditions from 2016 to 2019. These patients were under the care of hospitalist physicians, either allopathic (MDs) or osteopathic (DOs).

The team assessed key indicators of health care outcomes and costs, including 30-day patient mortality, 30-day readmissions, length of stay, and health care spending (Part B spending). These parameters, adjusted for patient and physician characteristics, painted a comprehensive picture of the care delivered by the two types of physicians.

The Verdict

Dr. Atsushi Miyawaki and his team found that when it comes to caring for patients, the distinction between a doctor having an “MD” or a “DO” after his or her name makes very little difference.

The team’s work highlighted the finding that the adjusted 30-day mortality rates were strikingly similar between the two groups—standing at 9.4 percent for MDs and 9.5 percent for DOs. Mortality rates reflect the proportion of patients who didn’t live past 30 days following their hospital admission.

In their extensive analysis, the researchers cast an eye on the rates of 30-day readmission, a key indicator tracking the frequency of patients’ return to the hospital within a month of their initial departure. They found that MDs and DOs performed equally well, clocking in readmission rates at a strikingly similar 15.7 percent and 15.6 percent, respectively.

The uniformity in the quality of care spread beyond mere mortality and readmission figures. Be it an MD or a DO at the helm of a patient care team, the average duration of a hospital stay hovered around the same mark—about 4 1/2 days.

And as for the bottom line—the impact on health care expenditure—the differences were practically negligible. On average, patients under the care of MDs accounted for a health care expense of $1,004, while the costs of those treated by DOs came in at a dollar less, at $1,003.

A Closer Look at MDs and DOs

Allopathic medicine, the path of study taken by doctors of medicine (MDs), has its roots in a traditional medical curriculum. The National Cancer Institute defines allopathic medicine as “a system in which medical doctors and other health care professionals treat symptoms and diseases using drugs, radiation, or surgery.” Tracing its origin back to the ancient Greeks, this pathway adheres to the Hippocratic Oath, a pledge to “do no harm.”

Osteopathic medicine, the study of which results in a doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO) degree, supplements traditional medical education with specialized training in touch-based diagnosis. This manual medicine uses hands-on work to treat various health issues in the joints and tissues.

“Osteopathic physicians, or DOs, believe there’s more to good health than the absence of pain or disease. Their whole-person approach to medicine focuses on prevention, helping promote the body’s natural tendency toward health and self-healing,” the American Osteopathic Association states on its website.

According to a 2020 census conducted by the Federation of State Medical Boards (pdf), approximately 90 percent of licensed physicians in the United States at that time were MDs, while the remaining 10 percent were DOs. However, the 2022 Osteopathic Medical Profession Report shows that the number of DOs is growing dramatically. In 2022, 7,300 new DOs joined the workforce. Moreover, in the past decade, the number of osteopathic medical school students has grown by 77 percent.

Rethinking the Future of Health Care

“Although often described as two distinct philosophies, modern osteopathic and allopathic medicine have more commonalities than differences,” wrote Dr. Charlie M. Wray, a DO, and Dr. J. Bryan Carmody, an MD, in a collaborative editorial published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Regardless of the pathway chosen, both MDs and DOs are fully qualified physicians, and both are required to complete a residency in their chosen specialty after graduation. Both have equal opportunities to apply for residencies, and the privileges and scope of care granted to them are the same.

And, according to the editorial, both specialties attract academically outstanding students, with average Medical College Admissions Test scores well above the national average.

Moreover, according to the authors of the observational study report, the curricula of both allopathic and osteopathic medical schools have evolved to be substantially similar, requiring accreditation from governing bodies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

The professional divide between MDs and DOs is fast narrowing. This parity in performance not only demonstrates the evolving landscape of medical practice in the United States, but also reaffirms the idea that quality patient care isn’t determined by the specific medical degree a doctor holds.

Ending on a note of unity, Wray told The Epoch Times, “Studies like this will continue to solidify the bonds between allopathic and osteopathic physicians while [they] also signal to patients that the care they receive is not dictated by the letters after their doctor’s name.”