Establishing research priorities in animal chiropractic: a mixed-methods study informed by interested parties.

Abstract

Background: Animal chiropractic is a relatively small subspecialty at the intersection of two well-established professions, chiropractic and veterinary medicine, and is commonly used to manage musculoskeletal conditions in animals. Despite increasing utilization, research guiding its clinical application remains limited.

Objective: To identify and prioritize research gaps in the animal chiropractic profession to establish interested party-informed research priorities.

Methods: A sequential mixed-methods design was used, comprising an online topic identification survey, in-person Nominal Group Technique sessions, and a final prioritization survey.

Results: Thirteen major research topics and 71 subtopics were identified and prioritized by Veterinarians and Chiropractors from Canada and the United States. The top five priorities were objective outcomes, safety and adverse events, condition-specific treatment effects, mechanisms of manual therapies, and treatment comparisons.

Conclusion: This study identified research priorities informed by interested parties to inform the future studies and strengthen grant applications by clearly demonstrating the demand for research in specifically identified areas.