Abstract
The aim of this study was to provide up to date information about the South African chiropractic profession with a view to compare the level of integration into the mainstream healthcare system in South Africa to other countries where similar surveys had been completed. Clarity regarding the scope of chiropractic practice is required to help plan the future of the profession.
The research is based on a survey and consists of a structured questionnaire of chiropractic practice in South Africa and a descriptive study design. The survey itself is based mainly on the Switzerland survey questionnaire, adapted to suit and reflect the current chiropractic practice in South Africa.
All chiropractic practitioners registered with the Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa (714 practitioners) were selected to participate in the survey. The final response rate yielded for the South African survey was 32.0%. The following represents the main findings of the study:
Compared to Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States of America, this survey showed that despite overlaps among the countries, the chiropractic profession in SA has a distinct combination of characteristics. In SA the chiropractic profession is in a favourable position to move forward if the following areas, identified in this study, are given particular attention with a view to addressing specific challenges of 21st century healthcare: compared to some of the countries mentioned, chiropractors in SA see significantly fewer patients in total, and even though inter-professional relationships with other healthcare professionals have significantly improved, the range and frequency of referrals remain unnecessarily...
M.Tech. (Chiropractic)