Although the chiropractic profession has yet to agree upon its scope of practice, it appears that chiropractic is emerging as an independent limited health profession in modem society. In reality, chiropractors usually function at the community: health care system interface, a level of health care at which health professionals are expected to actively engage in promoting patient self-care. This study seeks to clarify chiropractic’s scope of practice with respect to self-care and explore how brochures, tailored to the perceived needs of chiropractors and their patients, can enhance the cost-effectiveness of providing self-care in chiropractic clinics. It describes the actual scope of practice of chiropractors with respect to the promotion of patient self-care and explores the nature of self-care assistance chiropractic patients would like their chiropractors to provide. This study then proposes to develop, based upon the information expectations of patients and comments of their chiropractors, health information brochures that may help chiropractic practitioners meet this commitment and provide cost-effective self-care guidance to their patients.
The study passes through two phases. The first is a situational analysis of the self care needs of chiropractic patients. A survey of chiropractors will be triangulated with a case study of chiropractic practices. The survey will involve requesting a random sample of members of the Australian Chiropractic Association to complete a questionnaire. Questionnaires will be analysed using descriptive statistics. Chi squared tests will be performed where appropriate. The case study will be undertaken using purposive sampling of chiropractic practices in order to include diverse practice models. As the objective is to describe the broadest level of self-care available in chiropractic clinics, the patient sample will be restricted to maintenance patients. Data will be collected by means of practice observation, patient questionnaire and interview of both patients and practitioners. Interviews and practice observation will be subject to thematic analysis. Results from the survey and case study will be triangulated and used as the basis for developing health information brochures. In phase 2, the self-care brochures will be tested in selected chiropractic clinics.
Grant Value: $24,646
Chief Investigator: Dr Jennifer Jamison – RMIT
Status: Complete
Publications:
Chiropractic Journal of Australia Volume 31, Issue 3, September 2001, Page 92
Jamison JR “Chiropractic Patient-Centred Care:Suggestions from and International Case Study”
Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics Volume 24, Issue 6, July / August 2001, Page 378 – 384
Jamison JR “Reducing the personal risk of perceived disease: The chiropractic patients self-care endeavour.”
Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics Volume 24, Issue 5, June 2001, Page 331 – 334
Jamison JR “The Health Information Brochure: A Useful Tool for Chiropractic Practice”
Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association Volume 45, Issue 2, June 2001, Pages 100 – 105
Jamison JR, Rupert R. Maintenance care: towards a global description
Chiropractic Journal of Australia Volume 31, Issue 2, June 2001, Page 47
Jamison JR (2001) “Maintenance Care: An Australian Case Study”
Chiropractic Journal of Australia Volume 31, Issue 1, September 2001, Page 133 – 138
Jamison JR (2001) ” Expectations: A case Study Describing the Outcome Expectations of Chiropractors and their patients”
Topics in Clinical Chiropractic
Jamison JE. A case study to evaluate the acceptability of health information brochures to chiropractic patients