Consensus process to develop a “best practices” document for chiropractic care for older adults

Chiropractors commonly provide care to older adults in the U.S. However, at this time, the scientific evidence base has important gaps in terms of the appropriateness of chiropractic care for older adults. In fall of 2009, the NCMIC Foundation funded a project with the purpose of developing a consensus document on chiropractic care for adults aged 65 and older. This document will describe the procedures and other features which, based on the experts' clinical experience and available evidence, represent the most beneficial approach to chiropractic care for this population. Toward this end, a multidisciplinary Steering Committee (SC) was formed to guide the project, representing geriatrics experts from chiropractic, medicine, nursing, physical therapy and psychology. A multidisciplinary Delphi panel of 29 expert practitioners, faculty and researchers from 7 different health professions (acupuncture, chiropractic, massage therapy, medicine, nursing, physical therapy and psychology) was also formed to develop the document, using a formal consensus process following the rigorous RAND-UCLA methodology. The SC and panelists were provided with background materials, including summaries of the literature related to chiropractic care for patients aged 65 and older. The final document will consist of a collection of seed statements, each of which is required to have >80% consensus with the Delphi panel members. The project is currently completing the first Delphi round. The final document is scheduled to be completed by May 2010. This presentation will highlight the salient findings from the final consensus document.