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Efficacy Claims Policy

You may have seen recent media reports regarding misleading and unsubstantiated claims about the efficacy of treatment made by chiropractors as well as by other health service providers. The public, other health professionals and our own registrants have voiced concerns about treatment claims that are contrary to acceptable evidence.

Patients expect to receive effective care based on the best available evidence combined with clinician skills and training and patient preference. An evidence-informed approach to healthcare promotes an attitude of inquiry in health professionals:

Why am I providing this service in this way?
Is there acceptable evidence that can guide me to a better patient outcome?

The position of the College of Chiropractors of BC (the “CCBC”), in alignment with the Ministry of Health and other regulated health professionals, is solidly on the side of evidence-informed healthcare.

As the regulator for the chiropractic profession, the CCBC suggests that BC chiropractors consider three questions before making any claims about the benefits of treatment:

Do the claimed benefits related to care fall within the chiropractic scope of practice?
Are such claims accurate, verifiable, truthful and not misleading?
Are such claims supported by acceptable evidence?

Registrants, read the attached cover letter and policy carefully. It contains important information that may require your immediate attention.

Please note that this policy provides additional information to supplement existing language in the Professional Conduct Handbook, part 14(1)(f), and Appendix “N”.

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