June 2006

ACA joins group to protest AMA resolution

The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) joined with 24 other organizations to protest a resolution made by the American Medical Association (AMA) to study and report on the qualifications, education, licensure, and certification requirements for all limited licensed practitioners.

In addition to the AMA’s Resolution 814, the ACA, as part of the Coalition for Patients’ Rights (CPR, www.patientsrightscoalition.org), are protesting the formation of a Scope of Practice Partnership (SOPP), which will serve as a coordinated resource center for states that are dealing with scope of practice issues.

SOPP will serve as a source of information for physicians, state legislatures, courts, and regulatory agencies, and others when they consider public safety and qualifications in relation to limited-licensure healthcare providers, such as chiropractors.

According to the ACA, SOPP already started funding research designed to refute the key arguments used by other healthcare providers to advance their measures in state legislatures. Although SOPP plans to become involved in all 50 states, initially it is active in Massachusetts, Colorado, Texas, California, New Mexico, and Maine.

The partnership includes doctors from six medical specialty organizations: American Society of Anesthesiologists, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, American Academy of Ophthalmology, and the American Psychiatric Association.

The CPR includes specialists in various nursing capacities, physical therapy, and chiropractic — all of whom have limited licenses to perform procedures.

Sources: American Chiropractic Association, www.acatoday.com; Coalition for Patients’ Rights, www.patientsrightscoalition.org.

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