A consensus update by Cheryl Hawk, Michael Schneider and colleagues brings the 2009 guidelines on best practices for chiropractic care of children up to date for 2016. According to the authors of the update, "All of the seed statements in this best practices document achieved a high level of consensus and thus represent a general framework for what constitutes an evidence-based and reasonable approach to the chiropractic management of infants, children, and adolescents."
The consensus update covers a wide range of recommendations related to management of the child patient, including:
- Considerations for using manual procedures on children
- Patient communication principles
- Informed consent considerations
- Co-management with other health care providers
- Evidence-based practice principles
- Red flags / referral considerations
- Pediatric care plans
Dr. Claire Johnson, editor in chief of JMPT, explained the personal and professional value of the updated guidelines, much of which you may relate to as a practicing doctor of chiropractic:
"I was asked recently if I had any regrets in my life. There have been a few, but one really stands out. While in elementary school, I experienced daily back pain. However, it was not until I was 17 years old that my mother brought me to my first chiropractic appointment. My regret is that I had not received chiropractic care sooner.
"There are myths that chiropractic care is only for adults. So, it is with great pleasure we share the following paper published by an outstanding team of scholars and experts on best practices for chiropractic care of children. This paper is a must read for practicing DCs, chiropractic students and for that matter, anyone who comes into contact with children."
As with the 2009 recommendations, the 2016 update included input from a broad-based panel of experienced chiropractors representing five countries. For the 2016 guidelines, Delphi panelists averaged 20 years in practice; 14 of the 29 hold either dual licensure in chiropractic and another health care profession or an additional academic degree. Twelve panelists from the 2009 project repeated service for the 2016 guidelines.
"Best Practices of Chiropractic Care of Children: A Consensus Update" appears in the March-April 2016 issue of JMPT as anopen-access document. For full-text access, click here.
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