Page 18 - BackSpace October 2017

General news
Royal College points out inconsistency in advertising standards
In the UK, advertising practices are regulated by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
The ASA exists to ensure the content of advertisements (ads) is ‘legal, decent, honest and truthful’ and adheres to the advertising codes defined by its sister organisation, the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP). Since 2011, the ASA’s remit has covered all ‘advertiser-owned’ advertising, which means advertising claims made by companies and organisations (including ads published on websites and social media spaces). CAP offers free advice and guidance on how to ensure ad campaigns comply with its advertising codes. The ASA responds to complaints from consumers and businesses and bans ads that breach the codes. Rob Finch, CEO of the Royal College of Chiropractors, points out an inconsistency in the standards.
IN ITS 2016 annual report (http://bit.ly/2vixLEy), the ASA highlights its work with
the UK osteopathy profession
to provide more clarity and guidance on the rules governing advertising claims for the care of pregnant women, children and babies, work which was completed in November 2016 (http:// bit.ly/2u4ecjl). ASA promised
to build on the momentum of
this collaborative approach in other sectors, and it has started
to fulfil this promise in relation
to chiropractic; Professor Julius Sim of Warwick University was appointed to review relevant evidence in relation to (a) care of pregnant women, children and babies, (b) sports injuries and (c)
whiplash, and his conclusions were included in a recent draft ASA guidance document. The views
of the chiropractic profession,
and the Good Thinking Society, were sought in a subsequent consultation and are currently being considered by the ASA.
It is undeniably wrong to make misleading claims to patients/ potential patients regarding the efficacy of particular treatments, but the ASA needs to ensure its position on particular forms of care, and the guidance it publishes in this regard, remain current, fair and equitable.
For example, the ASA’s
current guidance in respect of fibromyalgia states that osteopaths and physiotherapists can claim
to treat the condition, whereas chiropractors cannot. There are a number of possible ways such an anomaly could arise, including that the evidence in relation to chiropractic, osteopathy and physiotherapy may have been reviewed at different times, such that some guidance is out-of-date, or different experts reviewed the evidence in each case and reached different conclusions. However,
it is clear that a fundamental misunderstanding persists at the ASA, and among its appointed experts, in terms of the nature
of chiropractic, osteopathy and physiotherapy. They are professions not treatments, each providing an approach to care that includes various forms of manual therapy
and lifestyle advice. Thus, in relation to the management of musculoskeletal conditions, they share a common evidence base. ASA need only review the relevant evidence once in order to provide fair, equitable, evidence-based advertising guidance for all three professions.
Incidentally, at the time of writing, the most recent systematic review of manual therapy and fibromyalgia found inconclusive (favourable) evidence for all
tested forms of manual therapy (Clar et al, 2014 – http://www. chiromt.com/content/22/1/12), insufficient to allow valid advertising claims to be made by any manual therapy provider!
London South Bank University quick out of the blocks
ONDON SOUTH Bank University (LSBU) is already promoting management summaries and direct its new chiropractic course and inviting applications from supervision, and the university may
October 2017, although the course will not have its first intake until September 2018.
The university is one of the largest schools of health and social care in the UK with a strong reputation for research and innovation. The course is a full-time four-year route to a Masters in Chiropractic (MChiro), combining undergraduate and postgraduate study,
and applicants are told that the British Chiropractic Association is pledged to increase the number of chiropractors in the UK from 3,100 to 5,000 by 2025. They are advised to expect a starting salary, once qualified, of around £28,000 per annum, which is 24% higher than a newly-qualified doctor working in the National Health Service (F1 grade).
The course offers the opportunity of studying alongside undergraduates in physiotherapy and sports rehabilitation and exercise. It also offers clinical placements starting in year two that equate to 1000 hours or more, assessed through a range of case-
well develop its own chiropractic clinic.
Notable modules (each 20 credits out of
420 over the four years) include concepts of inter-professional and collaborative practice, appraising evidence for research-informed practice quality improvement, change management and leadership, marketing and small business management, ethical practice and a small research project.
Fees for UK and EU students in 2017/18 are £9,250 per annum excluding living costs, equating to an estimated £37,000 in total. LSBU says that it offers ‘considerable financial help’ through scholarships, bursaries, charitable funds, loans and other financial support.
The course will start small, bringing the total number of chiropractic training places in the UK to around 270. This, allowing for wastage rates, retirements and EU students who return home at the end of their course, will fall short of the BCA aim by 2025.
So, we still need more opportunities for training as a chiropractor.
18 BACKspace www.chiropractic-ecu.org October 2017