Patient Characteristics Associated With Self-Reported Adherence to Chiropractic Treatment Recommendations: A Feasibility Study

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of developing and administering a patient adherence survey to assess self-reported adherence to treatment recommendations from a chiropractic doctor within an academic health center. Methods The survey items were developed by the authors and vetted by the university's students and faculty, who serve as health care practitioners at an academic health center. Adult patients with spine pain who were seen by a doctor of chiropractic at an academic health center were included in this survey study. A 32-item survey was administered between October 2019 and March 2020. Results A total of 62 respondents completed the anonymous survey. We found that 89% of respondents adhered to their clinic appointments. Although 82% of respondents said that their doctor's recommendation made sense, only 44% reported completely following treatment recommendations for at-home stretching and exercise. Conclusion This study determined that it is feasible to assess patient self-reported adherence to chiropractic treatment within an academic health center setting. In our sample we found that although patient adherence to clinic appointments was high, adherence to treatments was not.