Certification: Advanced Practice Chiropractic (ACP-C)
Advanced Clinical Exam
(ACE) Info Sheet
(.pdf 24 kb)
An Innovative Complement to the Healthcare Delivery
System
Innovative alliances and advances
in healthcare often make frequent headlines but there is an equally innovative
and also misunderstood, treatment for the high cost and impaired accessibility
that is currently plaguing the United States healthcare system. Of the more than
70,000 chiropractic practitioners, 27,000 have a variety of specialty and
advanced practice training. The numbers of these chiropractic physicians are
growing. They are carving out a niche in delivering of timely, cost effective,
quality healthcare, especially to chronically underserved populations such as
the elderly, the poor, and those in rural areas.
Of the 70-80% of primary and
preventive care traditionally done by allopathic doctors, Advanced Practice
trained and credentialed chiropractic physicians can perform many of these
services competently and for less money. This is not to infer that chiropractors
work cheaper, but that their cost effectiveness reflects a variety of factors
relating to the employment setting, liability insurance, the cost of insurance
and the fact that they do not generally use prescriptive pharmaceutical agents,
invasive procedures or incisive surgery as first- line therapy.
With the emphasis on health
promotion and disease prevention and a proven record demonstrating excellent
primary care delivery in diverse settings, Advanced Practice Chiropractic
Medicine practitioners form an important link in the solution to America’s
healthcare crisis. Removing the barriers to the utilization of Advanced Practice
Chiropractic within the context of training, competencies and scopes of practice
would pay a healthy dividend now and in the future.
Who Are These Chiropractic Physicians?
The Advanced Practice Chiropractic
Practitioner describes the chiropractic physician (DC) who has met
advanced educational, clinical practice work requirements,
credentialing and practice competencies beyond the core competencies of
the newly graduated doctor of chiropractic, at a level at or above that of other
mid-level practitioners.
The Advanced Practice Chiropractic
Physician would include those chiropractic physicians who have received
additional training, board certifications and competencies in such areas as
internal medicine, nutrition, acupuncture, orthopedics, neurology, sports
medicine, pediatrics, geriatrics, diagnostic imaging, occupational medicine,
forensic medicine and primary care.
The chiropractic practice act
varies widely among the states. The particular state statute ultimately defines
the Advanced Practice Chiropractic Medicine Certified (APCM-C®)
practitioner scope of practice, not necessarily his training, certifications or
competencies.
Advanced Practice Chiropractic
Practitioners:
-
Number
approximately 27,000 or 38% of all US DC’s
-
Education – Advanced clinical practice chiropractic physicians include DC’s
prepared beyond the initial education in a DC program. It is estimated that
27% have received certifications from diplomate level board certification
programs recognized by the American Board of Chiropractic Specialties of the
American Chiropractic Association.
What APCM-C® Chiropractors Do
Advanced Practice Chiropractic Practitioners may practice independently or they
may work in hospitals, out-patient facilities, with other physicians and for
various healthcare agencies. Many function primarily as clinicians and diagnose
and treat a wide range of acute and chronic diseases and injuries, interpret lab
results, counsel patients, develop treatment plans and they may prescribe or use
medications within the context of their training and scope of practice.
Goals
- Improve patient access to primary
care services especially in medically underserved populations
- Increase access to timely
interventions
- Reduce healthcare costs
- Improve delivery efficiencies
within the healthcare system
Advanced Clinical Exam
(ACE) Info Sheet
(.pdf 32 kb)
