Recorded presentation

Lisa Killinger, DC, Palmer College of Chiropractic, 741 Brady Street, Davenport, IA 52803, 563-884-5150, lisa.killinger@palmer.edu and Irene N. Paulavicius, MA, Pathology Department, Palmer College of Chiropractic, 1000 Brady Street, Davenport, IA 52803.

In previous APHA presentations several challenges were identified related to making chiropractic public health education (CPHE) relevant to future chiropractors. CPHE has historically focused on Microbiology, Parasitology, Virology, and Immunology, predictably matched to the credentials of the instructors. This presentation will describe the use of an innovative inquiry-based learning strategy in one CHPE course, and a re-focusing towards general health topics, health promotion and prevention.

In a 45 hour course with 208 students, 36 hours were refocused towards healthcare issues facing health professionals today, such as obesity, physical activity, polypharmacy, etc. A menu of inquiry-based activities was also given wherein students could earn up to 1/3 of their grade. Interestingly, few students selected activities or research related to back pain or injury, the most common patient complaints in chiropractic practice. 124 students chose to investigate reputable public health resources to develop patient education materials for their future practices related to such topics as emerging infections, immunizations, cancers. Eleven students opted to visit and summarize the services available at the local public health department, an activity potentially valuable in fostering future collaboration between chiropractors and public health facilities.

Despite initial concerns about a negative impact on our students' National Board examination performance, student scores remained stable. Student satisfaction with the redesigned course was very high. This study suggests a direction for future, more broad-based curriculum enhancement related to chiropractic public health education, with a focus on clinical relevance and inquiry-based learning.

Learning Objectives: At the end of this session the participant should be able to

• Articulate the historical characteristics of public health courses in chiropractic colleges
• Summarize the methods and topics included in the innovative chiropractic public health course described in this session
• Recognize the potential inclusion of broader based education in chiropractic public health courses, to include more clinically relevant topics.
• Recognize that a shift in focus toward clinically relevant information, may not negatively impact student scores on the National Board examinations.

Keywords: Chiropractic, Public Health Education and Health Promotion

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation