Faculty from National University of Health Sciences (NUHS) will be holding an Evidence Based Practice (EBP) workshop for chiropractic physicians (DCs) working in the Veterans Health Administration system (VHA). The workshop is funded by the VHA. Additionally, a research project will be conducted simultaneously with the workshop to measure how training in EBP affects the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of VHA chiropractic physicians.

This two-day workshop is scheduled to take place Wednesday, July 20, and Thursday, July 21, at the Northern Illinois University Naperville Conference Center.

At the seminar, DCs will learn about the history and principles of EBP as well as how to construct a searchable clinical question, find and access sources of information, discover different online databases, search the literature, appraise the literature, apply the evidence to patient care, and develop a journal club. The materials and resource guide used in the 2-day EBP Training Seminar were developed through NIH/NCCAM Grant # R25 AT002872.

Twenty-one chiropractic physicians from VHA facilities across the country have agreed to attend the seminar and will be invited to participate in assessments that are part of the research project component.

“We’ll be assessing the DCs immediately prior to the seminar and again at the end of day two. They’ll be assessed six months from completion of seminar and then again at 12 months after completion,” says Dr. Gregory Cramer, principal investigator for the research project and dean of research at NUHS.

“Assessment topics include select elements of the diagnosis, treatment and assessment strategies that VHA chiropractic physicians use for patients with low back pain. A second assessment is strictly focused on their perceived knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors regarding the use of research literature in clinical practice.”

Dr. Cramer adds, “One of the end goals of the seminar is for chiropractic physicians in the VHA system to start their own journal club. After learning EBP skills through the seminar, we hope participants will take these skills back to the VHA and share them with other DCs in the VHA system. A journal club is one way they can share these skills.”

The seminar and research project are conducted in collaboration with Dr. Tony Lisi, director of Veterans Health Administration Chiropractic Services.

NUHS faculty teaching at the July seminar include Dr. Thomas Grieve, Dr. Jerrilyn Cambron, Dr. Christopher Wolcott, Dr. Mabel Chang, Dr. Ezra Cohen, and Mr. Russ Iwami. Ms. Jennifer Dexheimer is coordinating the program, along with the help of Ms. Lynn Zoufal.

For more information on the VHA seminar and research project, contact NUHS’ Department of Research at [email protected].