2015 APHA Annual Meeting & Expo

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Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
Only $90 for presenters, $140 for registered attendees and $200 for non-attendees.

Online Program

328379
Doctors of Chiropractic Readiness for Certification in Public Health (CPH)


Monday, November 2, 2015 : 9:10 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

Medhat Alattar, MD, DC, MS, Academics, Palmer Chiropractic College Florida, Port Orange, FL
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
Objective: Chiropractors need to act assertively to support and protect health in the present as well as in the future. Shifting patterns of disease, degradation of water supplies, sanitation, and impacts on agriculture necessitate more participation in the field of public health. This paper reviews public health contents of chiropractic curricula and proposes availing online public health courses to qualify interested students and graduates to earn “Certified in Public Health” (CPH) professional credentials.

Methods: Reviews were conducted of some USA, Canadian, Australian and British chiropractic colleges teaching of Public Health as well as the NBPHE eligibility for the CPH examination. 

Results: Most colleges cover public health concepts as part of other courses. The NBPHE listed requirements include: a relevant graduate degree with additional 15 credit hours at a CEPH-accredited program covering: Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Environmental Health, Health Policy & Management, and Behavioral Sciences/Health Education. There are a noticeable number of DCs with master or doctoral degrees in public health capable of teaching such courses. 

Conclusion: Colleges can apply for accreditation by the Council on Education for Public Health and offer elective online courses to cover the above five core areas. Interested students and graduates can take the CPH test after completing these courses. The chiropractic chapter in the APHA and the WFC’s public health committee can jointly encourage the designation of chiropractic colleges interested in offering such needed courses. DCs with CPH qualification will expand chiropractic involvements in Public Health and support the role of chiropractors in providing longitudinal patients care.

Learning Areas:

Other professions or practice related to public health
Public health or related education

Learning Objectives:
Discuss chiropractic colleges teaching of public health. Assess the eligibility of Doctors of Chiropractic to take the CPH exam. Define the role of chiropractic in public health worldwide.

Keyword(s): Chiropractic, Public Health Movements

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a professor at Palmer Chiropractic College- Florida campus I am a member of the Public Health Committee of the World Federation of Chiropractic I worked for over ten years an the Executive Director of a none profit organization providing chiropractic care and humanitarian relief programs worldwide. I was a Chiropractic Delegate to several World Health Assemblies in Geneva, Switzerland. I have been teaching in different chiropractic colleges for the past 30 years.
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.

Back to: 3023.0: Public Health and Chiropractic