The "Vertebral Subluxation in Chiropractic Practice
Guideline," developed by the Council on Chiropractic Practice (CCP) has been
incorporated into the National Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC) and is now available, in its
entirety, through its website (www.guildeline.gov).
The NGC is a comprehensive electronic database administered by the Agency for Policy
and Health Care Research (AHCPR) which allows access to accepted guidelines from various
health care disciplines. The CCP document the only chiropractic guideline to be included.
Recently, NGC Project Manager Elizabeth A. Richardson, notified CCP President
Christopher Kent, D.C., that the website was being updated to include the chiropractic
guidelines. "We greatly appreciate the efforts of CCP to support the National
Guidelines Clearinghouse," she told Dr. Kent.
Originally, the CCP was notified of its acceptance into the clearinghouse by ECRI, an
international nonprofit health services research agency and a Collaborating Center of the
World Health Organization.
According to AHCPR Administrator John M. Eisenberg, M.D. the NGC offers major benefits
over less sophisticated methods of guidelines retrieval. "With guideline summaries in
a standardized format, this unique resource will allow users to compare and contrast
guideline recommendations on similar topics. Ultimately, all of us will benefit from the
availability of this information."
The Clearinghouse was developed in partnership with the American Medical Association
(AMA) and the American Association of Health Plans (AAHP) to promote widespread access to
guidelines.
To be accepted into the NGC, the CCP guideline had to meet a set of stringent inclusion
criteria. Among these was the requirement that it produce documentation showing that a
systematic literature search and review of existing scientific evidence published in peer
reviewed journals was performed during the guideline development.
