Guidance concerning chiropractic practice in response to COVID-19 in the U.S.: a summary of state regulators’ web-based information
Abstract Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic led to unprecedented changes, as many state and local governments enacted stay-at-home orders and non-essential businesses were closed. State chiropractic licensing boards play an important role in protecting the public via regulation of licensure and prov...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2020-07-01
|
| Series: | Chiropractic & Manual Therapies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12998-020-00333-6 |
| _version_ | 1818525661242851328 |
|---|---|
| author | Shawn M. Neff Christopher B. Roecker Casey S. Okamoto Samuel L. Holguin Jason G. Napuli Ross Mattox Nathan A. Hinkeldey David J. Paris |
| author_facet | Shawn M. Neff Christopher B. Roecker Casey S. Okamoto Samuel L. Holguin Jason G. Napuli Ross Mattox Nathan A. Hinkeldey David J. Paris |
| author_sort | Shawn M. Neff |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic led to unprecedented changes, as many state and local governments enacted stay-at-home orders and non-essential businesses were closed. State chiropractic licensing boards play an important role in protecting the public via regulation of licensure and provision of guidance regarding standards of practice, especially during times of change or uncertainty. Objective The purpose of this study was to summarize the guidance provided in each of the 50 United States, related to chiropractic practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A review of the public facing websites of governors and state chiropractic licensing boards was conducted in the United States. Data were collected regarding the official guidance provided by each state’s chiropractic licensing board as well as the issuance of stay-at-home orders and designations of essential personnel by state governors. Descriptive statistics were used to report the findings from this project. Results Each of the 50 state governor’s websites and individual state chiropractic licensing board’s websites were surveyed. Stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders were issued in 86% of all states. Chiropractors were classified as essential providers in 54% of states, non-essential in one state (2%), and no guidance was provided in the remaining 44% of all states. Fourteen states (28%) recommended restricting visits to only urgent cases and the remaining states (72%) provided no guidance. Twenty-seven states (54%) provided information regarding protecting against infectious disease and the remaining states (46%) provided no guidance. Twenty-two states (44%) provided recommendations regarding chiropractic telehealth and the remaining states (56%) provided no guidance. Seventeen states (34%) altered license renewal requirements and eight states (16%) issued warnings against advertising misleading or false information regarding spinal manipulation and protection from COVID-19. Conclusion State guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic was heterogenous, widely variability in accessibility, and often no guidance was provided by state chiropractic licensing boards. Some state chiropractic licensing boards chose to assemble guidance for licensees into a single location, which we identified as a best practice for future situations where changes in chiropractic practice must be quickly communicated. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T06:11:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c10ca75079ee4534aee8688e4e1c0d0d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-709X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T06:11:55Z |
| publishDate | 2020-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Chiropractic & Manual Therapies |
| spelling | doaj.art-c10ca75079ee4534aee8688e4e1c0d0d2022-12-22T01:18:06ZengBMCChiropractic & Manual Therapies2045-709X2020-07-0128111010.1186/s12998-020-00333-6Guidance concerning chiropractic practice in response to COVID-19 in the U.S.: a summary of state regulators’ web-based informationShawn M. Neff0Christopher B. Roecker1Casey S. Okamoto2Samuel L. Holguin3Jason G. Napuli4Ross Mattox5Nathan A. Hinkeldey6David J. Paris7Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Medical CenterVeterans Affairs Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care SystemMinneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical CenterMartinsburg Veterans Affairs Medical CenterSt Louis Veterans Affairs Health Care SystemSt Louis Veterans Affairs Health Care SystemVeterans Affairs Central Iowa Health Care SystemVeterans Affairs Northern California Health Care SystemAbstract Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic led to unprecedented changes, as many state and local governments enacted stay-at-home orders and non-essential businesses were closed. State chiropractic licensing boards play an important role in protecting the public via regulation of licensure and provision of guidance regarding standards of practice, especially during times of change or uncertainty. Objective The purpose of this study was to summarize the guidance provided in each of the 50 United States, related to chiropractic practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A review of the public facing websites of governors and state chiropractic licensing boards was conducted in the United States. Data were collected regarding the official guidance provided by each state’s chiropractic licensing board as well as the issuance of stay-at-home orders and designations of essential personnel by state governors. Descriptive statistics were used to report the findings from this project. Results Each of the 50 state governor’s websites and individual state chiropractic licensing board’s websites were surveyed. Stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders were issued in 86% of all states. Chiropractors were classified as essential providers in 54% of states, non-essential in one state (2%), and no guidance was provided in the remaining 44% of all states. Fourteen states (28%) recommended restricting visits to only urgent cases and the remaining states (72%) provided no guidance. Twenty-seven states (54%) provided information regarding protecting against infectious disease and the remaining states (46%) provided no guidance. Twenty-two states (44%) provided recommendations regarding chiropractic telehealth and the remaining states (56%) provided no guidance. Seventeen states (34%) altered license renewal requirements and eight states (16%) issued warnings against advertising misleading or false information regarding spinal manipulation and protection from COVID-19. Conclusion State guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic was heterogenous, widely variability in accessibility, and often no guidance was provided by state chiropractic licensing boards. Some state chiropractic licensing boards chose to assemble guidance for licensees into a single location, which we identified as a best practice for future situations where changes in chiropractic practice must be quickly communicated.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12998-020-00333-6ChiropracticCOVID-19Coronavirus disease 20192019 novel coronavirus diseaseLicensureGoverning board |
| spellingShingle | Shawn M. Neff Christopher B. Roecker Casey S. Okamoto Samuel L. Holguin Jason G. Napuli Ross Mattox Nathan A. Hinkeldey David J. Paris Guidance concerning chiropractic practice in response to COVID-19 in the U.S.: a summary of state regulators’ web-based information Chiropractic & Manual Therapies Chiropractic COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 2019 novel coronavirus disease Licensure Governing board |
| title | Guidance concerning chiropractic practice in response to COVID-19 in the U.S.: a summary of state regulators’ web-based information |
| title_full | Guidance concerning chiropractic practice in response to COVID-19 in the U.S.: a summary of state regulators’ web-based information |
| title_fullStr | Guidance concerning chiropractic practice in response to COVID-19 in the U.S.: a summary of state regulators’ web-based information |
| title_full_unstemmed | Guidance concerning chiropractic practice in response to COVID-19 in the U.S.: a summary of state regulators’ web-based information |
| title_short | Guidance concerning chiropractic practice in response to COVID-19 in the U.S.: a summary of state regulators’ web-based information |
| title_sort | guidance concerning chiropractic practice in response to covid 19 in the u s a summary of state regulators web based information |
| topic | Chiropractic COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 2019 novel coronavirus disease Licensure Governing board |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12998-020-00333-6 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT shawnmneff guidanceconcerningchiropracticpracticeinresponsetocovid19intheusasummaryofstateregulatorswebbasedinformation AT christopherbroecker guidanceconcerningchiropracticpracticeinresponsetocovid19intheusasummaryofstateregulatorswebbasedinformation AT caseysokamoto guidanceconcerningchiropracticpracticeinresponsetocovid19intheusasummaryofstateregulatorswebbasedinformation AT samuellholguin guidanceconcerningchiropracticpracticeinresponsetocovid19intheusasummaryofstateregulatorswebbasedinformation AT jasongnapuli guidanceconcerningchiropracticpracticeinresponsetocovid19intheusasummaryofstateregulatorswebbasedinformation AT rossmattox guidanceconcerningchiropracticpracticeinresponsetocovid19intheusasummaryofstateregulatorswebbasedinformation AT nathanahinkeldey guidanceconcerningchiropracticpracticeinresponsetocovid19intheusasummaryofstateregulatorswebbasedinformation AT davidjparis guidanceconcerningchiropracticpracticeinresponsetocovid19intheusasummaryofstateregulatorswebbasedinformation |