Health care delivery is evolving. Health care policy makers are requiring continued validation of competency and legitimacy from all professions. The chiropractic profession needs to establish its own widely accepted practice document to specifically detail what the profession does. Where internally developed documentation is absent, payers and policy makers substitute their own. The profession must not permit itself to be a victim of documents pressed upon the profession by other entities which distort and restrict chiropractic care without evidence. Now is the time to answer that charge and refocus health care delivery on the process and the patient. An equally important feature of such a document is to identify evidence that is helpful to chiropractic doctors in order to increase efficacy in practice. With the increasing volume of research material, it is difficult for all providers to keep pace, and CCGPP assists in serving that end by evaluating evidence and rating it for applicability, validity and ease of use.

CCGPP is taking steps to implement the utilization of the literature syntheses and consensus reports with third party payors throughout the health care industry. By providing the latest evidence demonstrating the efficacy of chiropractic management of health concerns, the CCGPP is endeavoring to improve coverage and reimbursement for appropriate chiropractic care.

CCGPP has purposely designed this document to appeal to all philosophies and, by the very nature of a best practices process, it should be useful for all types of practitioners. Our intent is that it will serve as a useful information source for all chiropractors as well as those who interact with the chiropractic profession. At this time, CCGPP will not address individual treatment techniques.

This is a living document, that can and will be frequently updated. There will always be provision for ongoing input. CCGPP resolves to be consistently responsive to stakeholder input and to new sources of information presented.

In 2000-2002, CCGPP commissioned a survey of the profession, which was performed by the Palmer Chiropractic Research Center. We have solicited input and continue to do so from many sources and there will be widely announced public commentary periods on sections of the document prior to publication; constant updating; focus groups or other trials.

The evidence stratification is organized into eight primary clinical sections by anatomic region, each researched by a separate team. All teams jointly form the research commission, which reports to the CCGPP Council, whose members act as the steering body and resource provider.

There have been several previous guidelines documents written in the past. CCGPP is supplying an evidence base that can provide the basis for development of many types of applications. CCGPP is also taking significant measures to avoid problems presented by any previous document. We have solicited and continue to solicit input from diverse elements of the profession as well as sources outside the profession, including a comprehensive survey of the profession. Lastly, this is a living document, that can and will be frequently updated. There will always be provisions for ongoing input.