None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
The emerging focus in healthcare is to have care services delivered using strategies that are cost-efficient and evidence-based, while engaging with the broadest applicable workforce. Therein is the opportunity for the chiropractic profession to play an expanding role within the context of a multi-disciplinary care, particularly in the area of musculoskeletal/spinal health. Practice-based data collection would offer insight into the nature of chiropractic practice and contribute to resolving the conundrum of chiropractic’s role in contemporary healthcare, latterly informing care service policy. However, there is little formal data available about chiropractic practice to inform us about the nature and role of chiropractic within the context of a modern multidisciplinary healthcare context in Australia, particularly at a local and regional level. This purpose of this prospective, mixed-methods, cross-sectional, external pilot study was to provide a critique of the research design and collect data from a selected sample of chiropractic practices, with a view to offer recommendations related to the design, feasibility and implementation of a future confirmatory study. A narrative critique of the research methods of this pilot study is offered, covering: (a) practice and patient recruitment, (b) enrollment of patients, (c) data collection methods, (d) acceptability of the study methods, (e) sample size calculations, and (f) design critique. The result of this critique provides a sensible sample size estimate and recommendations as to the design and implementation of a future confirmatory study. Furthermore, we believe that a confirmatory study is not only feasible, but indeed necessary, with a view to offer meaningful insight into chiropractic practice in Western Australia.
Interventions
This study was designed as a sequential, explanatory, mixed-methods, cross-sectional, practice-based, external pilot study of patients seeking chiropractic services in Western Australia. A select non-random sample of independent private chiropractic practices was recruited and between July-September 2014 consecutive adult patients self-presenting to these practices for the first time were invited to participate. Patient participants were assessed on a single occasion only at the time of first pr
This study was designed as a sequential, explanatory, mixed-methods, cross-sectional, practice-based, external pilot study of patients seeking chiropractic services in Western Australia. A select non-random sample of independent private chiropractic practices was recruited and between July-September 2014 consecutive adult patients self-presenting to these practices for the first time were invited to participate. Patient participants were assessed on a single occasion only at the time of first presentation to chiropractor within the study period. Data for analysis were collected using a computer-based online questionnaire; including various patient demographic data and human quality of life measures (HQoL’s; SF-12 and PIQ-R). Both qualitative and quantitative responses were collected from the practice practitioners and support staff and a descriptive analysis which characterised the sample practices and chiropractors is provided.
Sponsors
The University of WA
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Adults (18yrs and over) presenting to chiropractors in Western Australia Jul-Sep 2014
Exclusion criteria
Not applicable
Outcome results
None listed