Variations in the implementation and characteristics of chiropractic services in VA.

Background: In 2004, the US Department of Veterans Affairs expanded its delivery of chiropractic care by establishing onsite chiropractic clinics at select facilities across the country. Systematic information regarding the planning and implementation of these clinics and describing their features and performance is lacking.

Objectives: To document the planning, implementation, key features and performance of VA chiropractic clinics, and to identify variations and their underlying causes and key consequences as well as their implications for policy, practice, and research on the introduction of new clinical services into integrated health care delivery systems.

Mixed-Methods Research in a Complex Multisite VA Health Services Study: Variations in the Implementation and Characteristics of Chiropractic Services in VA.

Maximizing the quality and benefits of newly established chiropractic services represents an important policy and practice goal for the US Department of Veterans Affairs' healthcare system. Understanding the implementation process and characteristics of new chiropractic clinics and the determinants and consequences of these processes and characteristics is a critical first step in guiding quality improvement. This paper reports insights and lessons learned regarding the successful application of mixed methods research approaches-insights derived from a study of chiropractic clinic implementation and characteristics, Variations in the Implementation and Characteristics of Chiropractic Services in VA (VICCS).