Dr. Ebrall told Dynamic Chiropractic that development of Australian guidelines has been quietly underway since 1993, the year the Clinical Practice Committee of the CAA was handed the task to develop practice guidelines by the CAA Board.
Drs. Paul Searle and Stephen Creane of the management committee undertook a detailed review of both the Mercy and Glenerin guidelines. They then consulted on various sections of those documents with a selection of Australian chiropractors as content experts in what amounted to a comprehensive preview. This led to the identification and subsequent appointment of appropriate chiropractors throughout Australia in October 1994 to act as section chairs. (A listing of the sections and the committee chairs is given at the end of this article.)
Dr. Ebrall said a strong support team had also been appointed to provide expert guidance of the editorial (Dr. Mary Ann Chance) and postconference continuing education activities (Dr. Wayne Minter). The treasurer of the CAA, Dr. Stephen Bardsley, has accepted the appointment of financial controller for the project.
The Australian document, while being written specifically for chiropractic as it is practiced in Australia, will have a significant international flavor:
- Drs. Jim Stinear and Robin Taylor of the New Zealand Chiropractors' Association (NZCA) are in close contact with the overall activity as observers for the NZCA.
- The "Laboratory Investigation" chapter will be chaired by Dr. Al Adams, vice president for professional affairs at Los Angeles College of Chiropractic.
- Dr. Ebrall was pleased to announce that Dr. Dan Hansen (Olympia, Washington) had accepted appointment as facilitator of the Australian process.
The first major task for the Australians was to conduct a commencement workshop in Sydney last December, attended by all section chairs and the support team. The workshop established a common purpose and direction for the key participants and process managers and was rated by Dr. Ebrall as being an outstanding success. "The experience of Dan Hansen, combined with the talent of the section chairs is an unbeatable combination," Dr. Ebrall said. "At the start of the process in 1992, the management committee lacked confidence that such a huge task could be successfully conducted in Australia. Now following the preview process and the training of Dr. Hansen's commencement workshop, there was no doubt at all that the process was in the very capable hands of 12 hardworking, dedicated and competent chiropractic practitioners."
Dr. Ebrall added that it was imperative for the CPACP document to be a document of practitioners. "Some of the resistance to the Mercy document in particular was the perception that it was an 'academic' exercise and somewhat out of touch with the reality of clinical practice. All section chairs, with the exception of Dr. Adams who is a highly qualified external expert, are registered chiropractors practicing on a daily basis in Australia, or in one case, recently retired with an extensive clinical practice experience." (Editor's note: "perception" is the key word with the Mercy Guidelines as 23 of the 35 Mercy Commission members (80 percent) were practicing DCs.) CPACP will, without a doubt, be a document of clinical practice, but as such may surprise a few people overseas who don't understand the importance of the socialization of chiropractic," Dr. Ebrall predicted.
The Australian document will have 12 sections, each with a committee of up to seven people refining and constructing the recommended clinical parameters within that section, in accord with the documented evidence of past consensus guidelines and the most recent evidence available from the literature. Each section committee will also have a number of international reviewers and advisors who can contribute specific expertise to particular parameters.
Another important aspect of the Australian process is the opportunity for every member of the CAA to make individual contributions to the development process. All members have been advised of the names of the section chairs and invited to forward their individual comment directly to the relevant chair.
Sections and Chairs
- Consents (Informed/Minor/Incompetent): Dr. Peter Cowie, BAppSc (Chiropractic) (Phillip). In private practice.
- Record Keeping, Treatment Record, Financial Record, External Report Received, and Reports Generated: Dr. John Kelly, DC (SCC). Sessional lecturer, Macquarie University Centre for Chiropractic. In private practice.
- History and Initial Examination, Clinical Impression: Dr. JoAnne Maire, DC (CMCC). Immediate past chair, Chiropractors' and Osteopaths' Board, Queensland. In private practice.
- Diagnostic Imaging: Dr. Geoffrey Wynn, BAppSc (Chiropractic) (Phillip). In private practice.
- Diagnostic Instrumentation: Dr. Sean Allwood, BAppSc (Chiropractic) (Phillip). In private practice.
- Diagnosis, Contraindications and Complications: Dr. Michael El Moussailli, BAppSc (Chiropractic), Phillip, FACCS. Consultant chiropractor to Victorian WorkCover Authority, consultant chiropractor to Transport Accident Commission, Victoria. In private practice.
- Modes of Care: Dr. Dennis Richards, BSc (New Eng), DC, (Palmer). In private practice.
- Frequency and Duration of Care: Dr. Max Joseph, DC (Palmer). Retired from private practice.
- Maintenance, Preventative and Supportive Care: Dr. Mark Tapper, DC (SCC), DO (SCC), MChiroSc (Macq), CCSP (NWCC), president, CAA (ACT). In private practice.
- Reassessment, Outcome Measurement: Dr. John Drinkwater, BAppSc (Chiropractic) (Phillip). Consultant Chiropractor to Victorian WorkCover Authority, Consultant Chiropractor to Transport Accident Commission, Victoria. In private practice.
- Laboratory Investigation: Dr. Al Adams, DC, vice president for professional affairs, Los Angeles College of Chiropractic.
- Professionalisation and Continuing Education: Dr. Inger Villadsen, DC (AECC), chair, education committee, CAA (National), In private practice.
Each section has a support team drawn from chiropractors and chiropractic educators around Australia, and a number of content experts, advisors and reviewers who may or may not be chiropractors, drawn from around the world.
CPACP Listing of Personnel
Dr. Phillip Ebrall
80 Charles Street
NORTHCOTE, Victoria 3070
Office phone: 03 468 2744 Fax: 03 467 2794
Home phone: 03 481 2294
Position: Chair, Management Committee
Dr. Paul Searle
1 Cypress Street
LAUNCESTON, Tasmania 7250
Office phone: 003 31 8898 Fax: 003 31 3848
Home phone: 003 31 8898
Position: Management Committee
Dr. Stephen Crean
181 Harrington Street
HOBART, Tasmania 7000
Office phone: 002 24 0626
Home phone: 002 29 6244
Position: Editorial Consultant
Dr. Mary Ann Chance-Peters
P.O. Box 748
Wagga Wagga, New South Wales 2650
Office phone: 069 21 3238 Fax: 069 26 2556
Home phone: 069 26 1743
Position: Editorial Consultant
Dr. Stephen Bardsley
941 Nepean Highway
MORNINGSTON, Victoria 3931
Office phone: 059 75 3851 Fax: 059 75 0211
Home phone: 059 75 3851
Position: Financial Managment
Dr. Wayne Minter
19 Forest Way
FRENCHS FOREST, New South Wales 2086
Office phone: 02 451 1809 Fax: 02 975 5669
Position: Educational consultant
Dr. Peter Cowie
16 Westleigh Village Centre, Eucalyptus Drive
WESTLEIGH, New South Wales 2120
Office phone: 02 484 7090 Fax: 02 875 1961
Home phone: 02 484 3985
Position: Chair, Consents (Informed/minor/incompetent)
Dr. John Kelly
139 Wentworth Road
ENFIELD, New South Wales 2136
Office phone: 02 745 3638
Home phone: 02 745 4188
Position: Chair, Record keeping (treatment record, financial record, external reports received, and reports generated)
Dr. JoAnne Maire
145 Old Cleveland Road
CAPALABA, Queensland 4157
Office phone: 07 390 2100 Fax: 07 821 0090
Home phone: 07 206 3303
Position: Chair, History and Initial Examination, Clinical Impression
Dr. Geoffrey Wynn
5/347 Port Hacking Road
CARINGBAH, New South Wales 2229
Office phone: 02 525 4380
Home phone: 02 527 4156
Position: Chair, Diagnostic Imaging
Dr. Sean Allwood
231 Melbourne Street
NORTH ADELAIDE, South Australia 5006
Office phone: 08 239 1922
Home phone: 08 267 4959
Position: Chair, Diagnostic Instrumentation
Dr. Michael El Moussalli
763 High Street
EPPING, Victoria 3076
Office phone: 03 401 4410 Fax: 03 401 4410
Home phone: 03 436 7447
Position: Chair, Diagnosis, Contraindications and Complications
Dr. Dennis Richards
5 Boyd Street
TWEED HEADS, New South Wales 2485
Office phone: 075 36 5799 Fax: 075 36 5777
Position: Chair, Modes of Care
Dr. Max Joseph
P.O. Box 476
MORNINGTON, Victoria 3931
Home phone: 059 75 5963
Position: Chair, Frequency and Duration of Care
Dr. John Drinkwater
404 Main Road West
ST. ALBANS, Victoria 3021
Office phone: 03 364 4444 Fax: 03 383 2446
Home phone: 03 366 1070
Position: Chair, Reassessment, Outcome Measurement
Dr. Mark Tapper
84 Emu Bank
BELCONNEN, ACT 2617
Office phone: 06 251 1133 Fax: 06 253 1927
Home phone: 06 258 9499
Position: Chair, Maintenance, Preventative and Supportive Care
Dr. Al Adams
LACC -- Box 1166
WHITTIER, CA 90609-1166
Office phone: 310 947-8755 Fax: 310 947-5724
Home phone: 714 524-9531
Position: Chair, Laboratory Investigation
Dr. Inger Villadsen
93 Darby Street
NEWCASTLE, New South Wales 2300
Office phone: 049 26 4177 Fax: 049 29 2006
Home phone: 049 69 3404
Position: Chair, Professionalisation and Continuing Education
Dr. Dan Hansen
1115 Black Lake Blvd., SW Suite A
OLYMPIA, WA 98502
Office phone: 0011 1 206 754 7066 Fax: 0015 1 206 754 7083
Position: Process consultant and facilitator
Dr. Jim Stinear
P.O. Box 7144, Wellesley St.
AUCKLAND, New Zealand
Position: Observer, NZCA
Dynamic Chiropractic editorial staff members research, investigate and write articles for the publication on an ongoing basis. To contact the Editorial Department or submit an article of your own for consideration, email
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