Chiropractic's current state: impacts for the future.

The chiropractic profession is currently facing a shift in practice and health care environments. This editorial reflects on the current state of the profession and suggests that the profession should move from the thinking and practice styles of the past that primarily attempted to prove patient care and practice to a more productive approach that strives to improve patient care and practice. The following primary areas that require attention are discussed: (1) evidence-based and best practices-oriented research priorities; (2) constructive engagement of the greater health care system; and (3) successful ethical business models.

Health services research related to chiropractic: review and recommendations for research prioritization by the chiropractic profession.

Purpose: This project updates a previous effort to inventory health services research conducted on chiropractic and makes recommendations for a subsequent research agenda. A qualitative review of social sciences, medical, chiropractic, and health services research literature regarding chiropractic was done with emphasis on research published since the initial health services research agenda effort in 1995. This work informed development of updated health services research recommendations.

Characteristics of chiropractic practitioners, patients, and encounters in Massachusetts and Arizona.

Objective: To describe chiropractic care using data collected at the time of each patient visit.

Methods: Random samples of chiropractors licensed in Arizona and Massachusetts were recruited to participate in interviews about their training, demographics, and practice characteristics. Interviewees were then recruited to record information about patient condition, evaluation, care, and visit disposition on 20 consecutive patient visits.

A communitywide intervention to improve outcomes and reduce disability among injured workers in Washington State.

One pressing challenge facing the U.S. health care system is the development of effective policies and clinical management strategies to address deficiencies in health care quality.