Chiropractic (General)

I.O. -- Interesting Observation May 7, 1993

Dynamic Chiropractic Staff

True Chiropractic Consensus

The Conference for the Establishment of Guidelines for Chiropractic Quality Assurance and Practice Parameters (the Mercy Conference) embodied 35 DCs from every philosophical, intellectual, and political point-of-view imaginable. As witness to the panel's diversity, just a few examples suffice:

Ralph Boone, DC, PhD, president of the Straight Chiropractic Academic Standards Association (SCASA); president of Southern California Chiropractic College

James Winterstein, DC, DACBR, president of the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE); president of National College of Chiropractic

Gerard Clum, DC, president of the Association of Chiropractic Colleges (ACC); president of Life College of Chiropractic-West

Reed Phillips, DC, PhD, DACBR, president of Los Angeles College of Chiropractic; vice president of the Association of Chiropractic Colleges

R. James Gregg, DC, FICC, president of the International Chiropractors Association

Louis Sportelli, DC, past chairman, American Chiropractic Board of Governors

and ...

Twenty-nine additional practitioners, researchers, and academicians representing further diversities of thought.

In a profession known for its independence of thought and divisiveness among its ranks, how could any kind of true consensus be possible?

During the four-day conference, the culmination of nearly three-years work, the panel of 35 voted on a total of 306 distinct guidelines on chiropractic practice. Of the 306 guidelines, these are the consensus results:

296 guidelines (96.7%) were rated Consensus Level 1 (full agreement -- over 85% of the panel in favor)

3 guidelines (1%) were rated Consensus Level 2 (consensus established -- 70%-84% of the panel in favor)

5 guidelines (1.6%) were rated Consensus Level 3 (majority/minority opinions -- 51%-69% of the panel in favor)

Of the five guidelines that received Consensus Level 3 ratings, only four (1.3%) had minority opinions. For chiropractic guidelines to be established by a representative group from the profession with only 8 guidelines (3.4%) not receiving full agreement is incredible. Indeed, the vast majority of the Consensus Level 1 guidelines were unanimous.

There has probably never been a time in the history of the profession when we have been this close to full chiropractic consensus.

May 1993
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