Response of Chiropractic Organizations to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Descriptive Report

• Published in: Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics 2020-06, Vol.43 (5), p.405.e1-405.e7
• Main Authors: Johnson, Claire D., Little, Craig S., Sterling, Tamara A., Gojkovich, Scott, Boghosian, Karlos, Ciolfi, Michael A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Betacoronavirus; Chiropractic; Communicable Disease Control; Communication; Coronavirus Infections - epidemiology; COVID-19; Guidelines as Topic; Health Occupations; Humans; Insurance, Liability; Leadership; Organizations; Pandemics; Pneumonia, Viral - epidemiology; SARS-CoV-2; Specialty Boards; United States - epidemiology
• ISSN: 0161-4754; 1532-6586; 1532-6586
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2020.04.001

The purpose of this report is to describe actions by chiropractic entities during the early stages of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Large entities that support chiropractic education or practice were invited to participate in this report. Leaders of various entities were emailed an invitation. A designee who was assigned by the leader provided a brief synopsis of actions the entity had taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Only entities that responded are included in this report. Five entities agreed to participate: The Council on Chiropractic Education, Association of Chiropractic Colleges, Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards, National Board of Chiropractic Examiners, and the National Chiropractic Mutual Insurance Company. Common themes included (1) recognizing the crisis and taking action, (2) establishing a safe working environment for staff so that services could continue, (3) delivering communications to stakeholders (chiropractic students, practitioners, licensing boards, and others) to guide decisions and direct actions, and (4) continuing to monitor the situation and respond as new information becomes available. These entities serve a large portion of the chiropractic profession. They have been quick to respond in a responsible, compassionate, and supportive manner to assist chiropractic licensing boards, practitioners, and students during the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings are encouraging as the chiropractic profession looks to the future as it navigates changes in education and the health care environment in the months and years ahead.