Online Program

316697
Evaluation of Public Health Related Policies from the American Chiropractic Association: Description of a Quality Improvement Process


Monday, November 2, 2015 : 12:30 p.m. - 12:50 p.m.

Claire Johnson, DC, MSEd, PhD, Editor, Professor, National University of Health Sciences, Escondido, CA
A. Carlo Guadagno, DC, National University of Health Sciences, Seminole, FL
Tony Hamm, DC, American Chiropractic Association
Karen Konarski-Hart, DC, American Chiropractic Association
Delilah Anderson, DC, MS, Nourishing Medicine, Big Rock, IL
Michael Clay Jr., DC, MPH, Rehab Care Line, PM&R and Pain Clinics, VA Medical Center Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
Mitchell Haas, DC, MA, Center for Outcomes Studies, University of Western States, Portland, OR
Martha Kaeser, DC, MEd, Clinical Assessment, Logan University, Chesterfield, MO
Eugene Lewis, DC, MPH, Private practice, Greensboro, NC
Dana Madigan, DC, MPH, National University of Health Sciences, Lombard, IL
John Nab, DC, Standard Process, Palmyra, WI
Objective: The purpose of this project was for the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) Public Health Committee to improve quality of current ACA public health policies and to identify other stakeholders that could potentially contribute to content.

Methods: ACA policies that were extant as of June 1, 2014 were systematically reviewed. A rubric was created to rate policies for: 1) focus on public health; 2) potential for collaboration with other committees; 3) proper format; 4) included a problem statement, evidence, strategy, and action steps; and 5) amount of revision needed. After the first round of rating, the ACA public health committee reviewed the results for agreement and identified policies they could assist in revising.

Results: Of 12 committee members, 9 completed the ratings. All 119 ACA policies were reviewed and 31 were identified as public health policies needing revision, priorities were: high (8), medium (10), low (13). For example, public safety, blood-borne pathogens, tobacco, and vaccination were rated in the high priority list. Of the remaining 88 policies, 30 were rated to be in the domain of other committees but that would benefit from public health content. For all other policies, at least one rater identified that public health could be a component.

Conclusion: We developed a process of policy improvement which resulted in the identification of a priority list of ACA policies which will receive initial revision. Other policies have been identified for collaboration with other committees for revision to ensure a public health perspective in all policies.

Learning Areas:

Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Clinical medicine applied in public health
Communication and informatics
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
Describe development of a process for public health policy review and collaboration with other committees. Discuss public health policies of the American Chiropractic Association (ACA). Formulate future actions that the ACA can use to implement change.

Keyword(s): Chiropractic, Policy/Policy Development

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have met all 3 of the criteria for authorship: 1) substantial contributions to conception and design, acquisition of data, and analysis and interpretation of data; 2) drafting the article and revising it critically for important intellectual content; and 3) final approval of the version to be submitted. I have a degree in chiropractic, have participated in clinical/educational programs that are healthcare related, and am the Chair of the American Chiropractic Association Public Health Committee.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.