Patient Characteristics Associated With Self-Reported Adherence to Chiropractic Treatment Recommendations: A...

Area of Science:

• Chiropractic Medicine
• Patient Adherence Research
• Academic Health Centers

Background:

• Assessing patient adherence to chiropractic treatment is crucial for treatment efficacy.
• Developing reliable tools to measure adherence in academic health center settings is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the feasibility of a patient adherence survey for chiropractic care.
• To evaluate self-reported adherence to chiropractic treatment recommendations.

Main Methods:

• A 32-item survey was developed and administered to adult patients with spine pain.
• Patients were recruited from an academic health center setting.
• Data collection occurred between October 2019 and March 2020.

Main Results:

• The survey was feasible to administer, with 62 respondents.
• High adherence to clinic appointments (89%) was reported.
• Lower adherence to at-home treatment recommendations (44%) was observed, despite 82% understanding the recommendations.

Conclusions:

• It is feasible to assess patient adherence to chiropractic treatment in academic health centers.
• While patients attend appointments, adherence to prescribed at-home exercises may require further attention.