The CHIRO-Force peer-assisted learning program for manual therapy education

Peer mentoring is increasingly valued in healthcare education for developing professional and clinical competencies. In the chiropractic program at our university, Force-Sensing Table Technology (FSTT®) was first integrated to enhance manual therapy training. After this, the CHIRO-Force Peer-Assisted Learning (PAL) program was launched as a collaborative learning process to further train students in practical skills related to chiropractic manual therapies. This paper introduces the program and reports findings from its first year.

The CHIRO-Force program was structured and evaluated using the PAL learning framework. After pilot funding approval, 2 fourth-year students were selected as mentors. Then, they and 2 faculty members completed intensive training from the developers of the FSTT® technology. Mentors then designed session protocols and organized a booking system. Mentees were invited to complete a short questionnaire after each session and a comprehensive one at the end of the pilot year. The program launched in September 2023 and the pilot year ended in April 2024.

Mentors created 5 distinct session protocols and each dedicated about 5 hours weekly to mentoring. From September to April, more than 100 sessions were provided, involving over 100 students. Group mentoring was also integrated into clinical internships. Feedback was highly positive, with 97% of sessions rated as "highly appreciated".

The CHIRO-Force PAL program shows promise in supporting students' practice of spinal manipulative therapy outside class. Future steps include assessing its impact on clinical competency and self-efficacy.