 Over the past generation, chiropractic’s strides toward full and fair inclusion in the health care system have relied on the existence of an ever-expanding research base that confirms the effectiveness of manual adjustment for spinal and other joint structures, using scientific standards accepted by all health disciplines. For the profession to build on past success, new research areas must now be explored. At both the Kansas City and Los Angeles campuses of Cleveland Chiropractic College, a new research agenda designed to meet the needs of the next generation of chiropractors is now in full swing.
The Right Team
An effective research program starts with hiring highly qualified people with the vision and expertise to accurately assess genuine research needs and to pursue cutting-edge projects that do not duplicate the efforts of other colleges. In recent years, Cleveland Chiropractic College has assembled such a team, under the steady leadership of Cheryl Hawk, DC, PhD, Cleveland’s Vice President for Research and Scholarship. Dr. Hawk works closely with James Brantingham, DC, PhD., and Mark Pfefer, RN, MS, DC, who serve as Directors of Research at the Los Angeles and Kansas City campuses, respectively. Together, these research trendsetters have a track record of high-quality published research. They have forged a new path for the College, focusing on chiropractic approaches to lower extremity conditions, geriatrics and prevention.
Dr. Hawk is a highly respected chiropractic researcher. She explains the importance of a robust and sustained research program in terms most practicing chiropractors will understand: “With the emphasis on evidence-based practice and documenting outcomes, if you don’t have research, it’s going to be harder and harder to be included by third party payers. That’s really the bottom line and why everyone is realizing that research is important.” Hawk, who also chairs the Scientific Commission of the Council on Chiropractic Guidelines and Practice Parameters [CCGPP], has direct experience in using research to safeguard chiropractors’ practice rights, as part of CCGPP’s rapid response team, which fields an ongoing flow of requests from doctors facing refusals of coverage for some procedures by insurance companies. The rapid response team provides research evidence to substantiate procedures which are questioned.
Focus on Lower Extremity, Geriatrics and Prevention Research
Recognizing the need for Cleveland College to carve out a unique research niche rather than following in the footsteps of other colleges (some of which have specialized, for example, in low back pain or headache research), Drs. Hawk, Brantingham and Pfefer noted the lack of chiropractic research on older people, the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population. Among the most important priorities in geriatric healthcare is maintaining the ability to live independently. This requires being to walk and perform other bodily movements in a healthy fashion and, most importantly, to prevent falls that can result in disabling fractures. Such fractures are a key factor in patients’ needing to enter assisted living facilities or nursing homes.
Cleveland’s research leadership team saw three potentially important research themes emerging. First, because disorders of the ankle, knee and hip exert a major influence on ambulation and may also be a critical factor in avoiding falls, investigating chiropractic’s effects on lower extremity conditions should be a central focus of the College’s research agenda. Second, while virtually all chiropractic research to date has focused on evaluating treatments, possible preventive effects of chiropractic adjustments should also be included among the areas to be studied. Third, because too little research in both chiropractic and medicine has looked closely at the specific needs of elderly patients, geriatrics was identified as a key area of emphasis for Cleveland researchers.
To jump-start the enhanced focus on geriatrics, starting on July 6, 2009, all Cleveland Chiropractic College – Kansas City Health Center patients age 65 or older will be enrolled in research studies. This will significantly enlarge the number of subjects available to participate in future chiropractic research projects. |
