Use of a computer-assisted clinical case (CACC) SOAP note exercise to assess students' application of osteopathic principles and practice.

Osteopathic medical students are future osteopathic physicians, and how they view the manipulative aspect of patient care will have an effect on the distinctiveness of osteopathic medicine. To encourage students' application of osteopathic principles and practice, a Web-based computer-assisted clinical case (CACC) was designed, for which students were required to submit a SOAP (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan) note. Results from the CACC-SOAP note exercise indicate that the experience engages medical students and can determine the students' abilities to recognize osteopathic principles in patient care.