Evidence-Based Chiropractic Care (EBCC)

Evidence-Based Chiropractic Care (EBCC): Enhancing patient care through evidence-based practice insights

The OCA has led extensive research efforts to support Ontario chiropractors in their delivery of evidence-based, patient-centred, and interprofessional care through a shared understanding of evidence-based practice (EBP). Grounded in seven scholarly papers, the EBCC initiative explores how chiropractors integrate research evidence, clinical expertise and patient preferences to deliver high-quality care. It encourages all stakeholders to integrate these insights into practice, education, regulation and professional leadership.

Explore the Published EBCC Paper Series

The OCA’s seven published papers advance the understanding of EBP by examining how research evidence, clinical expertise, and patient preferences and values intersect in clinical care. Together, its collective findings encourage organizations to adopt an evidence-based approach to health care delivery and integrate it into their strategic planning, and offer actionable insights for all stakeholders, including chiropractors and patients to support EBP.

Preface
Introduction Paper

Introduces the EBCC initiative, including how and why it was accomplished.

Evidence Pyramid
Narrative Review

Reviews evidence hierarchies, summarizing current understandings, limitations, and contextual factors affecting their use in clinical decision-making.

Clinical Expertise
Narrative Review

Reviews clinical expertise in EBP – its meaning, development and integrative function.

Person-Centred Care
Commentary

Explores person-centred care in chiropractic, addressing barriers and strategies for more consistent, evidence-informed delivery.

Bridging the Knowledge-to-Action Gap
Narrative Review

Reviews barriers to applying research in clinical practice and offers knowledge translation strategies to enhance the use of evidence in everyday care.

Clinical Decision Tool
Clinical Guideline

Offers a clinical-decision framework for evidence-based decisions when research is limited.

Biological Plausibility
Commentary

Explores the role of the nervous system in chronic Musculoskeletal pain and how spinal manipulation therapy may help manage it.

What is EBCC?

EBCC was born out of the Evidence Based Framework Advisory Council (EBFAC), which was established in 2019 to support chiropractors in delivering evidence-based, patient-centred and interprofessional care.

This initiative:

• Explores the history and contemporary meaning of EBP, clarifying how its pillars – research evidence, clinical expertise, patient preferences and circumstances, and clinical state and circumstances  – work together to inform clinical care.
• Supports chiropractors in delivering evidence-based, patient-centred care by identifying barriers and facilitators to applying the pillars of EBP and offering actionable strategies to overcome them.
• Supports collaboration across the health care system, engaging all stakeholders within chiropractic to help advance EBP
• Provides chiropractors with practical, plain-language knowledge translation tools to support implementation, educate patients and strengthen communication with other health care professionals.

Meet the Authors