Abstract
M.Tech. (Chiropractic)
Background: In 2015 both the University and Johannesburg and Durban University of Technology endorsed a statement known as The International Chiropractic Education Collaboration, a position statement that emphasizes the welfare of the patient and education of the highest quality that is based on evidence-based care. Despite the majority of practitioners in Gauteng graduating from the University of Johannesburg the attitudes of the practitioners in Gauteng towards evidence-based practice (EBP) and the number of practitioners using EBP was unknown. The Evidence-based Attitudes and Utilization Survey (EBASE) has been used in other professions and in the chiropractic profession in the United States of America and Sweden but has not yet been used in the chiropractic profession in South Africa. Aim: The aims of this research are to determine the attitudes and the utilization of evidence-based practice by chiropractors in Gauteng Method: This was a quantitative study done using the EBASE survey, an open-source questionnaire, which was modified to suit South African demographics and distributed to registered chiropractors in Gauteng through the Allied Health Professions Council of South African (AHPCSA) and Chiropractic Association of South Africa (CASA). Once anonymously completed the data was collected and analysed using Cronbach’s Alpha and mean subscores were calculated using the subscoring systems found in the EBASE to interpret the results. Procedure: An email was distributed by the AHPCSA and CASA containing an information letter about the research and researchers and a link to a googleform to anonymously complete the survey should the recipient have chosen to do so. Results: This research has a response rate of 34.82% of the chiropractors in Gauteng and determined that the majority of the participants had a favourable attitude towards EBP with a mean score of 31.88 but had a below-average score in the utilization of EBP with a mean score of 12.67. In addition to the aim, this research also determined that the practitioners in Gauteng rated their skills in EBP as being above-average as the mean subscore was 41.20, with low skills being seen in conducting clinical research (30.2%) and conducting systematic reviews (26.7%). When evaluating possible barriers to the uptake of EBP, the research indicated that the participants didn’t feel there were any major barriers to the uptake of EBP out of those listed in this research survey and had a mean subscore of 24.99. A...