The CCA/CCRF/CIHR partnership program was made possible in the last several years under the past leadership of Drs. Dave Peterson (current CCRF president), Dr. Allan Gotlib (CCA research programs coordinator), and CCA President Dr. Tim St. Denis.
CIHR and the Canadian government recognize the large numbers of Canadians who access alternative and complementary approaches to health care, particularly chiropractic.
By working together, the Canadian Chiropractic Association, the CCRF and the CIHR are helping to shape the Canadian research agenda and translate research findings into practice within the country's health system. This partnership program is a strong commitment to ensure talented investigators are provided with the necessary resources and training to address the health challenges faced by Canadians and chiropractic patients.
Dr. Quon, a recipient of numerous other awards, is a clinical assistant professor of the UBC medical faculty. He is a 1986 graduate of the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College. He completed a postgraduate residency program in clinical sciences in 1988 and became a Fellow of the College of Chiropractic Sciences in 1989. He obtained his masters in health science in 1999 from the Department of Health Care and Epidemiology at UBC.
As part of his PhD training at Vancouver General Hospital and the University of British Columbia, Dr. Quon's research project will focus initially on the clinical and economic outcomes of patients with lumbar disc herniation. Dr. Quon also plans to conduct a series of randomized controlled trials to compare the effectiveness of surgical and nonsurgical protocols for lumbar disc herniation.
"The immediate goal is to describe the patterns of variation in treatments experienced by patients," Dr. Quon explained. He seeks to identify the physical, psychosocial and clinical factors of timely versus delayed recovery. Dr. Quon said that the benefits and economic costs of commonly used nonsurgical treatments (alternative and conventional) will also be compared, and the most promising of these will be evaluated in future clinical trials.
Studies indicate that 10 percent of patients with disabling back pain account for more than 80 percent of total health care and social costs; the one percent of back pain patients who undergo surgery form the most expensive group. Although surgery for lumbar disc herniation is one of the most frequently performed surgical procedures in North America, its benefits in relation to structured nonsurgical care is unclear. Dr. Quon's research will evaluate whether lumbar disc surgery is more beneficial than chiropractic treatment of lumbar disc herniation.
Dr. Quon's fellowship is significant for chiropractic because of the stringent peer review standards of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Canada's leading federal research agency with an annual budget of $500 million. "Dr. Quon has hurdled the gold standard utilized by the CIHR," commented Dr. Tim St. Denis, president of the Canadian Chiropractic Association (CCA).
"Having CIHR support chiropractic research and a chiropractic researcher speaks volumes and definitely builds our credibility with the government and the public," observed Dr. Dave Peterson, president of the Canadian Chiropractic Research Foundation. "We need to accelerate our commitment to fostering a chiropractic research culture with fulltime researchers."
Dr. Don Nixdorf, executive director of the British Columbia College of Chiropractors, hopes to see a Chiropractic Research Chair established at UBC similar to Canada's first Chiropractic Research Chair at the University of Calgary, where Dr. Greg Kawchuk,DC, PhD, was awarded a five-year appointment, funded in part by the Canadian government.
"Providing these wonderful opportunities for chiropractors to undertake chiropractic research as a full time career will provide the necessary foundation for our profession to grow, and are essential to our survival and credibility with government and the public," commented Dr. Quon. "I wish to express my special appreciation to Dr. Allan Gotlib, special appreciation to Dr. Allan Gotlib, who not only directed my attention to the funding competition for the original CIHR/CCRF partnership award early last year, but also, and perhaps more importantly, provided me with the opportunity to reiterate my ongoing dedication and allegiance to the chiropractic profession. I am especially appreciative to the BCCC. I look forward to participating more directly in the academic growth of our exciting profession."
Dr. Quon is the latest recipient in the latest wave of Canadian chiropractic researchers to be funded as part of the CCA's ongoing commitment to supporting and facilitating a chiropractic research agenda designed to improve health care in Canada.
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