Profession specialist chiropractor

Specialist chiropractors have an advanced knowledge and understanding in a specific chiropractic area, acquiring complex decision making skills and clinical competency within the scope of the chiropractic profession. Specialist chiropractors may have undertaken an advanced course of studies to acquire the necessary skills and competency and qualification. Specialist chiropractors may be found in different specific fields such as education, functional neurology, orthopaedics, paediatrics, research, radiology, sport.  

Personality Type

• Social / Investigative
• Investigative / Social
• Artistic / Social

Knowledge

• Manage healthcare staff

  The managerial tasks and responsibilities required in a health care setting.

• Human physiology

  The science that studies the human organs and its interactions and mechanisms.

• First aid

  The emergency treatment given to a sick or injured person in the case of circulatory and/or respiratory failure, unconsciousness, wounds, bleeding, shock or poisoning.

• Psychology

  The human behaviour and performance with individual differences in ability, personality, interests, learning, and motivation.

• Neurology

  Neurology is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.

• Orthopaedics

  Orthopaedics is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.

• Rehabilitation

  The methods and procedures used to help an ill or injured person restore lost skills and regain self-sufficiency and control.

• Neuroanatomy

  The different parts of the nervous system.

• Pharmacology

  Pharmacology is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.

• Obstetrics and gynaecology

  Obstetrics and gynaecology is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.

• Medical informatics

  The processes and tools used for the analysis and dissemination of medical data through computerized systems.

• Microbiology-bacteriology

  Microbiology-Bacteriology is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.

• Biomechanics

  The use of mechanical means to understand the function and structure of biological organisms.

• Geriatrics

  Geriatrics is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.

• Paediatrics

  Paediatrics is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.

• General medicine

  General medicine is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.

• Human anatomy

  The dynamic relationship of human structure and function and the muscosceletal, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, endocrine, urinary, reproductive, integumentary and nervous systems; normal and altered anatomy and physiology throughout the human lifespan.

Skills

• Provide information on chiropractic treatment outcomes

  Provide information on therapeutic outcomes and any inherent risks to the client, ensuring that the client understands, and acting in accordance with ethical principles and local/national policies where the client does not have the capacity to understand.

• Prescribe healthcare products

  Prescribe healthcare products, when indicated, for therapeutic effectiveness, appropriate to the client`s needs and in accordance with evidence-based practice, national and practice protocols and within scope of practice.

• Accept own accountability

  Accept accountability for one`s own professional activities and recognise the limits of one`s own scope of practice and competencies.

• Adhere to health well-being and safety

  Comply with and apply the main points of health well-being and safety policy and procedures, in accordance with employer's policies. Report health and safety risks that have been identified and follow the appropriate procedures if an accident or injury should occur.

• Work in a multicultural environment in health care

  Interact, relate and communicate with individuals from a variety of different cultures, when working in a healthcare environment.

• Manage chiropractic staff

  Recruit, train and manage chiropractic staff within the unit and care team, ensuring clinically effective service to all patients referred to the unit.

• Use different communication channels

  Make use of various types of communication channels such as verbal, handwritten, digital and telephonic communication with the purpose of constructing and sharing ideas or information.

• Develop plans related to the transfer of care

  Organise transfer of care, when applicable, across a range of healthcare settings, communicating effectively and ensuring that the patient/client and carers are involved in the decision making process.

• Refer healthcare users

  Make referrals to other professionals, based on the healthcare user's requirements and needs, especially when recognising that additional healthcare diagnostics or interventions are required.

• Conduct chiropractic examination

  Undertake chiropractic assessment, incorporating data collected physical examinations, process of evaluating objective anatomic findings through the use of observation, palpation, percussion, and auscultation, chirorpactic examination and information derived from other relevant sources.

• Conduct health related research

  Conduct research in health related topics and communicate findings orally, through public presentations or by writing reports and other publications.

• Develop therapeutic relationships

  Maintain the individual therapeutic relationship to engage the individual's innate healing capacities, to achieve active collaboration in the health education and healing process and to maximise the potential of healthy change.

• Collect healthcare user's general data

  Collect qualitative and quantitative data related to the healthcare user's anagraphic data and provide support on filling out the present and past history questionnaire and record the measures/tests performed by the practitioner.

• Comply with legislation related to health care

  Comply with the regional and national legislation that is relevant to one`s work and apply it in practice.

• Supervise chiropractic students

  Supervise chiropractic students in the workplace and share own expertise with them; train them so that they can perform well in the workplace.

• Apply clinical chiropractic competencies in sport

  Apply specialized knowledge, skills, and competencies of chiropractic techniques and principles to provide care in all sport and sport injuries with safe, clinically appropriate, and highly professional standard, showing abilities to interact, coordinate and be part of the of the sport health care team.

• Comply with quality standards related to healthcare practice

  Apply quality standards related to risk management, safety procedures, patients feedback, screening and medical devices in daily practice, as they are recognized by the national professional associations and authorities.

• Contribute to the rehabilitation process

  Contribute to the rehabilitation process to enhance activity, functioning and participation using a person-centered and evidence-based approach.

• Advocate health

  Advocate for health promotion, well-being and disease or injury prevention on behalf of clients and the profession to enhance community, public and population health.

• Contribute to continuity of health care

  Contribute to the delivery of coordinated and continuous healthcare.

• Provide health education

  Provide evidence based strategies to promote healthy living, disease prevention and management.

• Apply organisational techniques

  Employ a set of organisational techniques and procedures which facilitate the achievement of the goals set. Use these resources efficiently and sustainably, and show flexibility when required.

• Provide leadership

  Lead and influence others to promote and contribute to policy development, advocacy, extending the boundaries and strategy at various levels.

• Apply health sciences

  Apply a broad range of bio-medical, psycho-social, organisational, educational, and societal aspects of health, disease, and healthcare to improve healthcare services and to improve quality of life.

• Provide clinical chiropractic neurology

  Apply advanced knowledge, skills and competences of clinical neurology to chiropractic techniques and principles to provide specialised chiropractic service to patient with safe, clinically appropriate, and highly professional standard.

• Interpret medical results

  Interpret, integrate and apply results of diagnostic imaging, laboratory tests and other investigations as part of the assessment of the client, in consultation with other healthcare practitioners.

• Apply context specific clinical competences

  Apply professional and evidence based assessment, goal setting, delivery of intervention and evaluation of clients, taking into account the developmental and contextual history of the clients, within one`s own scope of practice.

• Measure effectiveness of the service provided

  Use a problem-solving approach to develop and measure recommendations for improving the quality of professional practice in increasingly unpredictable contexts, contributing to change and development within the profession or service at a local, regional or national level.

• Employ cognitive behaviour treatment techniques

  Employ cognitive behavioural treatment techniques for those whose treatment involves cognitive re-training, addressing dysfunctional emotions, maladaptive behaviours and cognitive processes and contents through a variety of systematic procedures.

• Advise on healthcare users' informed consent

  Ensure patients/clients are fully informed about the risks and benefits of proposed treatments so they can give informed consent, engaging patients/clients in the process of their care and treatment.

• Provide chiropractic maternal healthcare

  Apply chiropractic techniques and principles to provide care to pregnant women with safe, clinically appropriate, and highly professional standards.

• Inform policy makers on health-related challenges

  Provide useful information related to health care professions to ensure policy decisions are made in the benefit of communities.

• Create solutions to problems

  Solve problems which arise in planning, prioritising, organising, directing/facilitating action and evaluating performance. Use systematic processes of collecting, analysing, and synthesising information to evaluate current practice and generate new understandings about practice.

• Develop plans related to client discharge

  Organise discharge planning, when applicable, across a range of healthcare settings, communicating effectively and ensuring that the client and carers are involved in the decision making process.

• Work in multidisciplinary health teams

  Participate in the delivery of multidisciplinary health care, and understand the rules and competences of other healthcare related professions.

• Use e-health and mobile health technologies

  Use mobile health technologies and e-health (online applications and services) in order to enhance the provided healthcare.

• Develop a collaborative therapeutic relationship

  Develop a mutually collaborative therapeutic relationship during treatment, fostering and gaining healthcare users' trust and cooperation.

• Delegate activities

  Delegate activities and tasks to others according to the ability, level of preparation, competence and legal scope of practice. Make sure that people understand what they should do and when they should do it.

• Provide chiropractic diagnosis

  Provide a proper working diagnosis/differential diagnosis and a proper inter-disciplinary or chiropractic treatment/management plan by performing a proper interview, working with patients to identify physical problems and difficulties resulting from illness, injury, disability or aging and by performing a proper/specific physical, neurological and orthopedic examination.

• Empathise with the healthcare user

  Understand the background of clients` and patients’ symptoms, difficulties and behaviour. Be empathetic about their issues; showing respect and reinforcing their autonomy, self-esteem and independence. Demonstrate a concern for their welfare and handle according to the personal boundaries, sensitivities, cultural differences and preferences of the client and patient in mind.

• Communicate effectively in healthcare

  Communicate effectively with patients, families and other caregivers, health care professionals, and community partners.

• Utilise advanced clinical skills

  Utilise advanced clinical skills in specific contexts, following specific training, in order to address the client`s needs.

• Manage healthcare users' data

  Keep accurate client records which also satisfy legal and professional standards and ethical obligations in order to facilitate client management, ensuring that all clients' data (including verbal, written and electronic) are treated confidentially.

• Manage clinical risk

  Improve the quality and safe delivery of healthcare, placing special emphasis on identifying those circumstances that place clients, their families and carers, staff, students and others at risk of harm and act to prevent or control those risks.

• Record healthcare users' progress related to treatment

  Record the healthcare user's progress in response to treatment by observing, listening and measuring outcomes.

• Educate on the prevention of illness

  Offer evidence-based advice on how to avoid ill health, educate and advise individuals and their carers on how to prevent ill health and/or be able to advise how to improve their environment and health conditions. Provide advice on the identification of risks leading to ill health and help to increase the patients' resilience by targeting prevention and early intervention strategies.

• Promote inclusion

  Promote inclusion in health care and social services and respect diversity of beliefs, culture, values and preferences, keeping in mind the importance of equality and diversity issues.

• Respond to changing situations in health care

  Cope with pressure and respond appropriately and in time to unexpected and rapidly changing situations in healthcare.

• Promote health and safety policies in health services

  Promote adherence to local, regional, national and EU Health and Safety legislation, policies, guidelines and protocols.

• Triage clients

  Contribute to the triage process to assign clients to the most appropriate management pathway for their condition, in collaboration with other healthcare practitioners.

• Provide chiropractic paediatric healthcare

  Apply specialised knowledge, skills, and competencies of chiropractic techniques and principles to provide care to adolescents, children and toddlers with safe, clinically appropriate, and highly professional standard.

• Interact with healthcare users

  Communicate with clients and their carer’s, with the patient’s permission, to keep them informed about the clients’ and patients’ progress and safeguarding confidentiality.

• Deal with emergency care situations

  Assess the signs and be well-prepared for a situation that poses an immediate threat to a person's health, security, property or environment.  

• Provide treatment strategies for challenges to human health

  Identify possible treatment protocols for the challenges to human health within a given community in cases such as infectious diseases of high consequences at the global level.

• Provide learning support in healthcare

  Provide the necessary support to facilitate learning for clients, carers, students, peers, support workers and other healthcare practitioners by assessing the learner`s development needs and preferences, designing agreed formal and informal outcomes of learning and delivering materials that facilitate learning and development.

• Formulate a treatment plan

  Formulate a treatment plan and evaluation analysis based on collected data following assessment using a clinical reasoning process.

• Follow clinical guidelines

  Follow agreed protocols and guidelines in support of healthcare practice which are provided by healthcare institutions, professional associations, or authorities and also scientific organisations.

• Ensure safety of healthcare users

  Make sure that healthcare users are being treated professionally, effectively and safe from harm, adapting techniques and procedures according to the person's needs, abilities or the prevailing conditions.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB