Women's health and chiropractic: Educational audit and development of core competencies

This study reviewed women's health (WH) curricula at chiropractic colleges and developed core competencies for WH.

Instructors of chiropractic colleges who taught WH-related course(s) were contacted to complete a survey that gathered pertinent material, including course objectives and targeted competencies. Survey results were used to develop an initial set of WH competencies. These were presented at an international conference workshop, with feedback from attendees who chose to participate. An e-Delphi panel was convened to finalize the core competencies, which required greater than 80% consensus for approval of each statement.

Based on surveys from 7 institutions and 13 courses, 11 individuals at the international conference workshop recommended 62 core competencies within 10 domains, which were subsequently evaluated by 42 Delphi panelists (DP). After one round, all competencies met consensus.

The study provided insight into the WH curriculum offered at participating chiropractic colleges. This resulted in a set of 10 domains and 62 core competencies to inform curricula that may be used by chiropractic training programs to enhance future chiropractors' knowledge and skills around WH across the lifespan and for post-graduate courses to ensure that proficiency may continue to advance in practice. These competencies go beyond women's reproductive health to include less considered milestones throughout the lifespan, including that gender is a social determinant of health, and the biological impact of social conditions, such as age in this population.