(a) For the purposes of Section 2459.5 and this section:

(1) “Osteopathic physician and surgeon” means a person defined in the Osteopathic Initiative Act.

(2) “Osteopathic manipulative treatment” means the therapeutic application of manually guided forces by an osteopathic physician and surgeon to alleviate somatic dysfunction.

(3) “Somatic dysfunction” means an impaired or altered function of related components of the somatic system.

(4) An “osteopathic aide” means an unlicensed person who assists an osteopathic physician and surgeon in the provision of osteopathic manipulative treatment provided that assistance is rendered under the supervision of an osteopathic physician and surgeon licensed pursuant to the Osteopathic Initiative Act. An aide is not authorized to perform osteopathic manipulative procedures.

(5) “Under the orders, direction and immediate supervision” means the evaluation of the patient by the osteopathic physician prior to the performing of an osteopathic manipulative treatment patient-related task by the aide, the formulation and recording in the patient’s record by the osteopathic physician and surgeon of an osteopathic manipulative treatment program based upon the evaluation, and any other information available to the osteopathic physician and surgeon prior to any delegation of a task to an aide. The osteopathic physician and surgeon shall assign only those patient-related tasks that can be safely and effectively performed by the aide. The supervising osteopathic physician and surgeon shall be responsible at all times for the conduct of the aide while he or she is on duty and shall provide continuous and immediate supervision of the aide. The osteopathic physician and surgeon shall be in the same facility as, and in proximity to, the location where the aide is performing patient-related tasks and shall be readily available at all times to provide advice or instructions to the aide.

(6) A “patient-related task” is restricted to assisting the osteopathic physician and surgeon in the rendering of osteopathic manipulative treatment.

(b) Osteopathic aides may not use roentgen rays and radioactive materials.

(c) The board shall require the supervising osteopathic physician and surgeon to conduct orientation of the aide regarding patient-related tasks.

(d) No osteopathic physician and surgeon shall supervise more than two osteopathic aides at any one time.

(Added by Stats. 1990, Ch. 873, Sec. 3.)