If you provide chiropractic services as part of a long-term care program or are interested in doing so, the "Building Bridges: Making a Difference in Long-Term Care" colloquium is for you. The sixth annual event is designed to provide researchers, policy leaders, health care providers and others involved in long-term care advance the field through discussion of the major issues and challenges surrounding the provision of such care. The colloquium will be held in Chicago on June 27, 2009.
In addition to attending, interested parties have a chance to help shape the program content at the event. Organizers program content at the event. Organizers are holding a "Call for Commissioned Papers" to select one of the topics for discussion at the colloquium. The winning author will receive $5,000 plus travel reimbursement for the paper's preparation and presentation at the colloquium, contingent upon timely completion of draft and final versions.
Proposal submissions must be received no later than Feb. 1, 2009 and consist of three specific components: topic identification, including overall relevance, how the paper and subsequent discussion will advance policy and/or practice, and evidence of an existing research base on the topic that has not yet been synthesized/vetted by policy-makers and practitioners; a detailed outline of the proposed paper (1,200 words or less); and a current curriculum vitae. Proposals must be submitted online (www.academyhealth.org/ltc/2009/colloquium/callforpapers.htm).
If chosen to attend the colloquium, the author must submit a full first draft (15-20 pages) by May 1, 2009, which will then be reviewed by an advisory committee. A revised/final version of the paper must be submitted no later than May 25. The final draft should be worthy of consideration for journal publication; the author is expected to revise their paper following the colloquium and may be asked to help prepare an issue brief based on the published paper.
The paper should "synthesize the existing research base on the topic and identify how research and policy might advance the LTC field relative to the topic. It will form the basis of a substantive session at the colloquium, which also includes 'real world' discussants and table discussions among colloquium participants." Multiple papers and authors may be selected if submissions reflect complementary topics that could be used within a single session.
The colloquium, which is sponsored by the Commonwealth Fund and AcademyHealth, is being held in conjunction with the latter organization's annual research meeting. The Commonwealth Fund is dedicated to promoting a successful health care system by "supporting independent research on health care issues and making grants to improve health care practice and policy." AcademyHealth, a professional society whose membership includes 4,000 individuals and 125 affiliated organizations worldwide, "promotes interaction across the health research and policy arenas by bringing together a broad spectrum of players to share their perspectives, learn from each other, and strengthen their working relationships." For more information about these organizations, visit www.commonwealthfund.org and www.academyhealth.org, respectively.
Share Your Experiences
If you are currently involved in, or in the process of developing, a chiropractic care program within a long-term-care setting, Monica Smith, DC, PhD, wants to hear from you. Dr. Smith, associate professor at Palmer College of Chiropractic and a member of the Palmer Center for Chiropractic Research, and others are gathering information on chiropractic participation in long-term care programs, including how DCs established working relationships with the programs and any barriers they faced. Contact Dr. Smith at
to discuss your experiences participating in long-term care.
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