Bethesda, MD - The Association of Chiropractic Colleges (ACC) has issued a statement concerning diagnosis as taught at chiropractic schools. The statement was formulated during a July retreat of college presidents in San Francisco, Calif., and unanimously signed by all participants.
The ACC's statement on diagnosis is as follows:
A diagnosis is an expert opinion identifying the nature and cause of a patient's concern or complaint, and/or abnormal finding(s). It is essential to the ongoing process of reasoning used by the doctor of chiropractic in cooperation with the patient to direct, manage, and optimize the patient's health and well-being.
The process of arriving at a diagnosis by a doctor of chiropractic includes: obtaining pertinent patient history; conducting physical, neurological, orthopedic, and other appropriate examination procedures; ordering and interpreting specialized diagnostic imaging and/or laboratory tests as indicated by symptoms and/or clinical findings; and performing postural and functional biomechanical analysis to determine the presence of articular dysfunction and/or subluxation.
ACC President Jean Moss, who is also president of Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in Toronto, Canada, enthused, "The statement of diagnosis is a further clarification of the position papers issued as part of the ACC Paradigm. The ACC will continue provide further statements and white papers on this and other subject areas."
In 1996, the ACC embarked on a process that will periodically result in comments from the chiropractic academic community on topics of interest to the field.
"The statements reflect what is being taught at chiropractic colleges and in line with accreditation guidelines," noted ACC Executive Director David O'Bryon.
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