We need your help. As you know, the Council on Chiropractic Guidelines and Practice Parameters (CCGPP) has embarked on a mission to produce a long-overdue chronic care guideline for our society. Now that summer is coming to an end, it's time to initiate and complete this project. Completing this project could impact in a very positive way the success of our profession in helping millions of patients control chronic pain, often without the use of drugs and surgery.
Why is this project so important? Just consider these numbers:
Guidelines exist that support chiropractic management of acute back pain and we shine in that arena. However, as we know, chiropractic is also beneficial in the management of chronic spinal-related pain, which is a huge industry affecting hundreds of millions of patients and costing society nearly $100 billion annually. To date, our profession has not produced an evidence-based chronic pain guideline and most medically developed guidelines often exclude chiropractic as a viable treatment option. As a result we've been mostly locked out of the management of chronic spinal pain.
Our mission is to change that injustice. Therefore, in light of the evolving health care market, it is imperative that chiropractic care be at the table and considered part of the solution in the management of this expensive and significant health challenge. Our intent is to develop an evidence-driven, consensus-based chronic pain guideline focused on spinal conditions in order to provide an effective and safer alternative for patients affected by chronic pain. Over the past 100+ years of our profession, and in the absence of a chiropractic-driven guideline, chronic pain patients are very often herded into typical medical management and denied access to more conservative care. Given the magnitude of this problem (approximately $100 billion annually) and the evidence our profession has to support chronic spinal pain management, it is time for our profession to act now. The chiropractic profession needs to be an active participant and the science is on our side. We need this guideline to help our patients. Please recruit volunteers today to serve on the Delphi panel.
The CCGPP Council will seek nominations for members from the field. Representation of all stakeholders is essential and diversity of opinion, location, and background is important. The group will include experienced DCs from across the nation, including content experts and those recognized academic/research experts. Multidisciplinary representation is also necessary to ensure validity of the process consistent with AGREE.
The Delphi coordinator will conduct Delphi rounds by e-mail until all comments are received and agreement is reached within a time frame established by the project coordinator.
The coordinator will complete the final document containing results of the process, and all participants will be recognized by name and affiliation in publication.
Notice regarding this project also recently appeared in the July 29, 2009 issue of Dynamic Chiropractic. Due to the summer months, CCGPP has extended the deadline to recruit volunteers for this project. CCGPP is looking for chiropractic practitioners, as well as collaborative providers from other disciplines, e.g., pain specialists, neurologists, physiatrists, physical therapists, who are experienced in management of chronic spinal conditions.
It is imperative that we receive these nominations no later than Sept. 15, 2009. Please submit your panelists' curriculum vitaes to: ccgpp@sc.rr.com. We would also request you consider sponsoring this process with additional funding. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us.
Sincerely,
Mark Dehen, DC, Chair, Council on Chiropractic Guidelines and Practice Parameters (CCGPP)
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