Resolution – Standard of Care

Whereas, addressing subluxations and spinal adjustments are central to The South Carolina Chiropractic Practice Act. The Palmetto State Chiropractic Association (PSCA) considers it standard practice and an acceptable standard of care for practitioners to choose to deliver care solely for the location, analysis, and correction of vertebral subluxations in infant, child and adult patients, regardless of whether symptoms are present or not. Vertebral subluxations are in and of themselves a detriment to one’s overall health.

Whereas, The Palmetto State Chiropractic Association is concerned with practitioners delivering quality chiropractic care, the PSCA considers it standard practice and within the acceptable standard of care, as noted in recognized clinical practice guidelines, to perform/order imaging for the location and analysis of vertebral subluxations when clinically appropriate. Clinical indications include evidence of vertebral subluxation demonstrated by chiropractic examination as referenced in nationally recognized guidelines (such as the Council on Chiropractic Practice Guidelines) and is not limited to patients presenting with symptoms or a history of trauma.

Whereas, the Palmetto State Chiropractic Association considers patient safety a priority, The PSCA considers it an acceptable and standard practice for chiropractic practitioners to deliver chiropractic care solely for the location, analysis, and correction of vertebral subluxation and for practitioners to choose to focus their scope of practice to that practice objective when a Terms of Acceptance is obtained from the healthcare consumer.

Whereas, the Palmetto State Chiropractic Association supports free-market competition in the healthcare marketplace, the PSCA supports chiropractic practitioners and their patient’s right to contract privately for professional services, and is opposed to regulatory agencies interfering with the ability of chiropractors to enter into contracts for the provision of professional services.

Whereas, multiple healthcare professions including dentistry and medicine utilize open office design concepts, The Palmetto State Chiropractic Association considers it standard practice and within the acceptable standard of care to deliver chiropractic care in an open adjusting room setting as long as provisions are made to respect requests for patient privacy and the chiropractor complies with HIPAA privacy regulations.

Now therefore, the Palmetto State Chiropractic Association affirms its agreement with these statements and passes this resolution by a unanimous vote of its Board of Directors on Saturday, December 12, 2015.