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Written by TAC Staff
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Friday, 16 March 2012 22:20 |
 (Garrison, NY) Researchers almost always offer money as an incentive for healthy volunteers to enroll in research studies, but does payment amount to coercion or undue inducement to participate in research? In the first national study to examine their views on this question, the majority of institutional review board members and other research ethics professionals expressed persistent ethical concern about the effects of offering payment to research subjects. But they differed in their views of the meaning of coercion and undue influence and how to avoid these problems in concrete research situations. The study appears in IRB: Ethics & Human Research.
The findings are important because the federal regulations for the protection of human subjects -- known as the Common Rule -- state that investigators should seek consent from potential research volunteers under circumstances that "minimize the possibility of coercion or undue influence." The regulations do not define these terms.
The study consisted of an online survey that asked a random sample of IRB members and others involved with upholding ethical standards in biomedical research about their views about different kinds of payments, including money, nonmonetary offers, and medical care. Of the 610 respondents, 61 percent "reported feeling somewhat, moderately, or very concerned that payment of any amount might influence a participant’s decision or behaviors regarding research participation.” The higher the payment, the greater the concern.
“Most respondents expressed concern that substantial payment could compromise a participant’s ability to think clearly about study risks and benefits (85%), lead individuals to enroll in a trial they otherwise would not enroll in (88%), or remain in one from which they would like to withdraw (84%)," the authors write. Most respondents agreed that researchers could offer money to reimburse expenses, and many thought that offering money as compensation for time and inconvenience was acceptable.
But the authors conclude that the respondents' views of coercion and undue influence were "excessively expansive, or inconsistent." For example, while more than 90 percent agreed with a definition of coercion tied to threat of harm, most also agreed that research participants are coerced when an offer of payment -- not the threat of harm -- gets them to participate when they otherwise would not.
The findings pose a dilemma to those charged with ethical oversight of human subjects research. According to the authors, unless researchers can offer payment as an incentive to participate in research, people might not enroll in studies and, therefore, much valuable research "is unlikely to be conducted in a timely manner or even conducted at all." And yet IRBs should not approve protocols -- whatever their social or scientific value -- unless the possibility of coercion or undue influence has been minimized. To get around this dilemma, the authors recommend that policy and educational efforts be undertaken to clarify when payment practices actually constitute coercion and undue influence.
Source: The Hastings Center
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Written by TAC Staff
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Wednesday, 29 February 2012 13:41 |
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 AVON, OH — HealthSource Chiropractic and Progressive Rehab® made company history this month when it broke into the top 100 of Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Franchise 500” list.
The company also continued its reign at the top spot in the Health Services list, having been ranked #1 in that category four years running.
“Being number one in the Health Services category for four straight years has never been done before and we’re extremely proud of that,” said HealthSource CEO Dr. Chris Tomshack.
HealthSource was ranked #99 on the esteemed list, a remarkable jump from #111 in 2011 and #258 in 2010.
The 2012 rankings, which were released on the magazine’s website this week, also put HealthSource at #48 in the magazine's list of Fastest-Growing franchises, up from #52 in 2011 and #66 in 2010, and its rank to #82 on the list of America's Top Global franchises, up from #94 last year.
"This incredible recognition reflects our long-standing goal of providing the very best care possible for our patients,” Dr. Tomshack said. “We saw more than 100,000 patients last month alone—we’re changing lives, and that’s what it’s all about.”
It was announced at the Parker Seminar in Las Vegas that HealthSource was bringing on well known Chiropractic mentor Dr. C.J. Mertz, founder and CEO of the Waiting List Practice chiropractic training organization.
Dr. Mertz will have the title of Chief Innovation Officer, and be charged with training chiropractors all across the globe with his time tested strategies for delivering top-notch patient care.
Health Source may be reached by calling 440-934-5858. The company’s headquarters are located at 36901 American Way, Avon, OH.
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Written by TAC Staff
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Wednesday, 29 February 2012 13:33 |
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Canadian-based ImaSight Inc., which develops and supplies innovative digital x-ray technology for the chiropractic healthcare industry, is now launching a major campaign into the US Market.
The company was founded in 2001 to respond to the need for an all-digital x-ray system that delivered hospital-quality images at an affordable price for any size practice.
“We’re thrilled with the opportunity to not only continue our work in the United States market, but also to increase our presence there,” commented Steve Johnston, Vice President and Co-Founder. “We exhibited at the Parker Seminar in Las Vegas in January and were very excited to see the response. It was evident that chiropractors really understood the value of working directly with a manufacturer versus having to go through the time and expense of dealing with resellers. We’re looking very forward to continuing our expansion in the US.”
 In their effort to ramp up their efforts in the US market, ImaSight has recently retained a US-based marketing and design firm, and in addition, is scheduled to attend numerous chiropractic trade shows in the United States in 2012.
“It’s important for US chiropractors to know we are experts in our field, and have been in business for over a decade serving the healthcare industry,” added Johnston. “Our collective backgrounds cover a broad range of specialties in digital video and imaging systems for telemedicine and industrial applications, and our experience covers all aspects of digital and analog electronics, medical imaging, high sensitivity optics and opto-mechanics.”
The advantages of digital technology over film include increased efficiency through bypassing chemical processing, and the ability to digitally transfer and enhance images. Further, less radiation is used to produce an image of similar contrast to conventional radiography, and chiropractors enjoy immediate access to the images while eliminating costly film processing steps. Chiropractors can also take advantage of special image processing techniques that enhance overall display of the image, improving their ability to communicate with their patients.
“Our Chiropractic Power Tools™, which we developed in collaboration with chiropractors, empowers doctors to annotate, comment, and enter patient data right on the image – enhancing patient communication while improving patient care,” commented Steve. “And we made it user-friendly, so there are no complicated processes a doctor has to learn to make use of the system.”
With competition from companies like Fuji, Idexx and others, ImaSight stated that one of their main competitive advantages, in addition to being a manufacturer of their own imaging products, is their focus on delivering the highest levels of customer care.
“We are absolutely passionate about taking care of our customers,” said Johnston. “It’s something so many companies say, but so few deliver. The chiropractors that we partner with are quick to find out, however, that in our company the term customer service isn’t a department – it’s our way of doing business. We’re there for every stage of the process, from helping in determining a chiropractor’s needs, to delivery, to training and follow-on support. And when they call, they don’t get voicemail – they get answers.”
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Written by TAC Staff
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Saturday, 28 January 2012 03:49 |
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 Arlington, Va.-- The Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) received a recommendation for a one-year continuing accreditation following a Dec. 14 hearing before the Department of Education's (DOE) National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI).
A one-year continuing accreditation means that the council's federal recognition is renewed with the requirement that it provide additional information in 12 months. The decision indicates that CCE substantially meets NACIQI's criteria but must address specific issues to be considered in full compliance.
In addition to CCE's own testimony, representatives of the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), representing 15,000 members; the Association of Chiropractic Colleges (ACC), representing all accredited chiropractic colleges; and the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards (FCLB) provided testimony recommending that CCE receive continuing accreditation and praising the agency for its efforts to improve chiropractic education and prepare students to meet public health needs.
Dissenting opinions were also expressed by several groups and individuals, who cited concerns about CCE's leadership, performance and its recently approved revision of chiropractic education standards. NACIQI determined that many of these issues are out of the purview of the reaccreditation process; however, the Committee did require CCE to improve communication with its constituents over the next year and to "demonstrate compliance with section 602.13 dealing with the wide acceptance of its standards, policies, procedures and decisions, and how its standards advance the quality of chiropractic education."
"Chiropractic colleges are providing an excellent, quality education," added David O'Bryon, ACC's executive director. "CCE's rigorous standards and policies have helped ensure those high standards that the public has come to expect."
Members of the education community, some of whom have worked directly with CCE on accreditation for their institutions, also provided testimony bolstering the recommendation for CCE accreditation.
DOE staff person Rachael Shultz, who reviewed CCE as part of the accreditation process, noted that CCE leadership was very open to fixing the 43 regulatory compliance deficiencies identified during her review. She noted that because of recently updated Higher Education Act (HEA) regulations, it is typical for agencies under review now to have more findings than in the past.
The hearing served to alert everyone of the critical role CCE plays in the chiropractic profession. The availability of federal loans for chiropractic students and state licensing for doctors of chiropractic are all contingent upon the federal recognition that CCE accreditation provides. As FCLB President Lawrence O'Connor, DC, testified: "Without CCE, state licensing [for doctors of chiropractic] would grind to a screeching halt."
Source: ACA.
The American Chiropractic Association (ACA), based in Arlington, Va., is the largest professional association in the United States representing doctors of chiropractic. ACA promotes the highest standards of patient care and ethics, and supports research that contributes to the health and well-being of millions of chiropractic patients. Visit www.acatoday.org.
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The American Chiropractic Association announced that doctors of chiropractic are now eligible to apply for a student loan repayment program administered by the Indian Health Service (IHS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The news comes following advocacy work by the association.
