Healthy Backs 2020

Healthy Backs 2020 is an initiative supported and coordinated by American Specialty Health (ASH) for the purpose of expanding and enhancing the role of chiropractic in the American healthcare system for the benefit of the healthcare consumer, the healthcare system, and the chiropractic profession. By this initiative, ASH seeks to proactively advance the public and policymaker acceptance of the role of chiropractic in conservative spine care for the purpose of providing the chiropractic profession with a broader recognition and broader access and acceptance within the healthcare system.

Because ASH cannot reach these goals alone, it is committed to collaborate with practitioners, independent professional societies, academic and other independent research organizations, and chiropractic colleges to achieve the goals of Healthy Backs 2020.

Despite growth and advancement over the past 100 years, the profession continues to lack a cohesive and credible professional identity and a clear message of healthcare quality within the American healthcare system. Further, despite residual unfair prejudices against the chiropractic profession, the future success of the profession is primarily a function of actions within the control of the profession itself. The chiropractic profession is losing market share, losing regulatory challenges, is under attack by regulators and other governmental entities and faces increasing competition from other well organized heath care professions. Clearly a focused and proactive approach to advancing the profession is needed.

American Specialty Health believes a positive, evidence-supported, and proactive initiative is needed to establish the public trust and cultural authority necessary for chiropractic to achieve its legitimate professional goals.

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1. Expand market share for chiropractic spine care toward 40% of non-surgical back care by year 2020 to ensure there is an economic base for professional stability and continued improvement in patient care.
2. Define and promote a consistent and credible professional identity within the chiropractic profession.
3. Increase the credibility and recognition of Chiropractic profession within the American healthcare system.
4. Influence the establishment of an evidence-based professional education model.
5. Promote professional development and business opportunities for practicing doctors of chiropractic.
6. Elevate the professionalism and ethical practices within the chiropractic profession.
7. Develop political support for a credible professional platform.
8. Expand and disseminate the body of knowledge that supports the chiropractic spine care model.
9. Further the integration of patient care among doctors of chiropractic and other spine care professionals.
10. Advance public awareness of the importance of spine health.

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The initiative will be supported by a Steering Committee comprised of chiropractic professionals and representatives of relevant institutions who are committed to the goals and mission of the Healthy Backs 2020 initiative. Healthy Back Steering Committee reports to Board of Directors.

All members are appointed by the Board of Directors upon recommendation of ASH Clinical Management staff. Activities will be coordinated by staff in the Health Services team in conjunction with Clinical Services; Professional and Governmental Affairs; Health Services Research Initiatives.

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Back health is an essential component of energetic physical function, productivity, and quality of life.

Doctors of Chiropractic provide evidence supported, non-drug, non-surgical manual physical medicine, rehabilitation, education, and preventive health services to support back health for all Americans.

As knowledgeable spine specialists, the chiropractic profession provides a clinically valuable and cost efficient health care service within the American healthcare system. The healthcare system will benefit from the continued advancement of evidence supported chiropractic.

The Healthy Backs 2020 initiative is supported by many professional leaders within the chiropractic profession. The Healthy Backs 2020 professional enhancement goal is to measurably increase the awareness of the American healthcare system in the value of evidence supported Chiropractic. Awareness that will build confidence of patients to consider clinically effective, cost efficient, high quality chiropractic spine care as an important and essential aspect of their health management activities.

The Healthy Backs 2020 will assist chiropractic and other health care educational institutions to implement positive and constructive measures to continue to enhance the chiropractic graduate and post-graduate educational breadth and depth.

The Healthy Backs 2020 will contribute to the development of support for the profession from within the legislative and health care policy making arena which will include improved awareness of third party insurance systems about the value that chiropractic care can provide to covered individuals.

The Healthy Backs 2020 initiative strives to meet its goals through dynamic, industry leading, professionally stimulating, and creative activities including:

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1. Best-Practices / Peer Review Scientific Journal
   
   The HB 2020 Steering Committee will serve as the editorial board for a new, clinically based, user friendly, best-practices journal that will be web-based and available free of charge. The journal will be indexed in a recognized scientific indexing system. The journal will promote expanding awareness of; best-practices research from within the chiropractic and manual medicine disciplines.
   
   1. First Edition published in 1Q06 (bi-annual thereafter.)
   2. Compendium supplement published 2Q06 (annual thereafter.)
   
   
2. "Hot Topics" Research Newsletter
   
   HB 2020 will author a newsletter containing systematic literature reviews of “hot topics” from the clinical research to assist the practicing clinician and student in keeping up to date with key findings in the clinical evidence. This newsletter will be sent electronically, free of charge, to anyone who registers to receive the newsletter.
   
   1. Bi-annual e-publication beginning first edition 10/2005.
   2. Systematic literature searchable data base made available to all participating providers of ASH on ASHLink will be available by September 2005.
   
   
3. Original Health Services Research
   
   HB 2020 Steering Committee members and research-trained support staff will provide input and advice to organizations that perform original health services research for the purpose of advancing the knowledge base concerning which chiropractic practice approaches result in the best clinical, quality, satisfaction, and cost outcomes.
   
   1. Complete and publish health services research with a focus on effectiveness, cost savings, substitution effects, and selection effects of evidence-based chiropractic care.
   2. Complete and publish papers that demonstrate chiropractic patient satisfaction and outcomes benchmarks related to favorable clinical outcomes of chiropractic interventions.
   3. Publication of benchmark outcomes reports from various populations of patients under chiropractic management.
   
   
4. Support to Individual Practitioner Research Initiatives
   
   HB 2020 Steering Committee members and research-trained support staff will provide one-on-one assistance to practitioners interested in learning how to perform original practice-based research including structured case studies. Assistance will also be provided to help practicing chiropractors author their findings. The purpose is to increase the body of foundational knowledge from which randomized and advanced research studies can be launched.
   
   1. Beginning 10/2005 HB 2020 will provide direct support or referral support to academicians and researchers who will provide consultative assistance to practitioners who wish to obtain education and information about how to perform and author case studies or perform office-based research.
   2. Beginning 10/2005 HB 2020 will provide access and referrals for potential authors looking for research talent to support their publications through editorial support and consultative advising.
   
   
5. Scientific Consensus And Policy Development
   
   HB 2020 will facilitate inter-disciplinary consensus research and policy development activities which will inform the profession and advance the knowledge base in the understanding of how to apply the evidence in clinical practice and how to advance patient care in the absence of clear, gold-standard evidence.
   
   1. Publish guidelines and information to support providers searching for peer-reviewed and validated clinical information about best practices.
   2. Involve national, state, and academic institutions in the development of best-practices guidelines.
   3. Develop best practices guidelines in support of the Spine Care model.
   
   

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1. Speaker’s Bureau
   
   HB 2020 will provide access to a panel of nationally recognized clinical and health policy experts who will be available for educational and other speaking opportunities that align with the goals of the HB 2020 initiative. Speakers are available free of charge to non-profit academic and other non-profit associations.
   
   
2. Legislative and Regulatory Initiatives
   
   HB 2020 will work collaboratively with industry stakeholders including Professional Societies; Payors and Policy Makers to proactively educate legislators about matters of concern to the profession and the healthcare system and to influence legislative and regulatory initiatives that are designed to advance the profession.
   
   
3. Professional Initiatives Collaboration
   
   HB 2020 acknowledges that other positive and proactive professional development initiatives are underway that support the goals of HB 2020 (e.g. CCGPP guideline development; WFC professional identity collaboration.) Collaborative efforts in concert with these professional initiatives will be assessed and implemented within the common ground of professional advancement.
   
   1. Host or participate in biennial conference of collaborators in the effort to advance the spine care initiative within the chiropractic and other professions that address aspects of spinal health.
   2. Participate in industry initiatives supporting the promotion of evidence-based chiropractic.
   
   
4. Inter-Disciplinary Cooperation Initiatives
   
   HB2020 will consider opportunities to develop collaborative efforts in the development of inter-disciplinary “bridge-building” between other complementary and traditional health care systems for the purpose of identifying common ground and collaborative efforts to improve the health care delivered within the American healthcare system.
   1. Assess opportunities to support traditional and complementary therapeutic and preventive health initiatives related to spine health.
   2. Develop collaborative and cooperative education and promotion opportunities with non-DC spine care professions (e.g. MD; ND; MT; PT)

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1. Practice Management Education

Delivering effective and valuable back care services requires effective and efficient office management practices. HB 2020 proposes to identify and implement educational initiatives to assist practicing doctors in the development of office management strategies that will enable efficient, successful, high quality business and health outcomes that result from high patient satisfaction.

1. Through educational initiatives; advance the professional knowledge base regarding the structure, financing, regulation, and economic forces within the healthcare system.
2. Provide educational programs and web-based information to assist practitioners in interacting within the mainstream health system.
   
   
2. Chiropractic College Initiatives

HB 2020 will provide to all chiropractic or other educational institutions speakers who will present information about the value and appropriate use of chiropractic for the care of back disorders. The presenters will have backgrounds and extensive personal experience in clinical practice, research, and insurance.

1. Reach out and present to all 16 US CCE accredited colleges who are interested in the HB 2020 goals by 01/07.
2. Ad hoc presentations upon request of colleges available 01/06.
3. Develop medical physician speaker panel for chiropractic college presentations to discuss topics of clinical integration, collaborative patient management, referral coordination, and documentation.
   
   
3. Medical College Initiatives

HB 2020 will provide to all medical colleges speakers who will present information about the value and appropriate use of chiropractic for the care of back disorders. These presentations will focus on the value of collaborative integrative approach to patient care and inter-disciplinary communication.

1. Provide chiropractic and integrative medical physician speaker support to medical colleges for presentations on chiropractic management, clinical integration, collaborative patient management, referral coordination, and documentation.
   
   
4. National and State Associations

HB 2020 will provide speakers to support educational activities of National, State, and International Chiropractic organizations. These will include participation upon the invitation of the Association in annual educational conferences, small group educational discussion, or forums.
1. Proactively volunteer to present at one conference per month; beginning 10/05.
   
   
5. Continuing Education Programs

HB 2020 will make chiropractic CE programs available through electronic format and provide practitioner access to HB 2020 sponsored on-site CE programs.
1. Discount access to chiropractic on-line CE program
2. Discount access to 24 Continuing Education hours of clinical programs presented by faculty from the chiropractic profession and stakeholder organizations (government, academia, health policy, and third party payors); State approval for CE credit to be pursued.

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1. On-Line Access to Systematic Literature Review

HB 2020 will manage a public website geared to providing professional level information to doctors of chiropractic and other practitioners about healthy back care and the protocols and guidelines that support effective implementation of the scientific evidence in day-to-day clinical practice.



2. Insurance Systems Initiatives

HB 2020 will make concerted efforts to present information about clinically and cost effective chiropractic back care to insurance payors and policy makers.

1. Make at least 12 presentations by end of 2006.



3. Patient Awareness Initiatives

HB 2020 will implement a web page on Healthyroads and / or ASH Companies with information to assist patients and potential patients with an understanding of the services and outcomes of evidence-supported chiropractic. The site will also provide educational tools about posture, core exercise, stretching, and other self-care public health measures in support of healthy back care goals. When possible, HB 2020 will support media initiatives to advance the favorable public image of evidence-supported chiropractic back care.

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Affordable access to high quality practice support equipment and supplies are essential to the success of a chiropractic practitioner. The HB 2020 initiative will work with suppliers to make necessary services and products available to HB 2020 participants available at lower costs than are available from other suppliers. Examples of practice support items may be malpractice insurance, DME supplies, mind-body self-care tools, dietary supplements, orthotics, information systems equipment, software, and CE courses.

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