December 2002

FCLB proposes standards for continuing ed,
Two associations raise concerns

Getting credit for attending continuing education classes should become easier with a new voluntary education-standards program, according to the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards. But not all chiropractic organizations agree that the standards should go into effect. The FCLB has released a draft for uniform standards for licensing boards to use to approve continuing education and called for feedback from chiropractors.

“What we learned from extensive surveys of colleges, boards and CE providers is that there are significant problems with the current process,” said Dr. Richard Cole, FCLB vice president. “Colleges and providers are frustrated by the expense, time delays and varied processes required by licensing boards for approval.”

Chiropractors in most states must have between 16 and 20 hours of approved continuing education each year for license renewal, FCLB Executive Director Donna M. Liewer told Chiropractic Economics. “If you are a vender [of continuing education seminars] you have to send your program description to all the jurisdictions to get it approved. Each of the 49 jurisdictions uses different forms. Some boards require seven copies of everything. Other boards approve courses automatically that come from CCE-[Council on Chiropractic Education] accredited schools. But CCE does not monitor post-graduate work,” she said.

Liewer says that chiropractors attending programs also run into problems with the current CE processes. Program venders do not always process CEU paperwork to the appropriate boards in a timely manner, she said. And the burden of producing proof of attendance in continuing education programs falls on any chiropractor who is audited. “That means they have to gather up all those miscellaneous certificates,” she said.

FCLB’s solution – about four years in the making – is a proposed program, to be known as PACE (Providers of Approved Continuing Education). Under the proposal, PACE is to be established and maintained by the Council on Chiropractic Education and applied by the PACE Committee of the FCLB. PACE would approve venders – not individual programs. It would also serve as a central data-collection point for continuing education participation. This would facilitate license renewals as well as audits, said Liewer, because all attendance records would be in one place.

The PACE proposal is not without controversy. The American Chiropractic Association has no official position regarding FCLB’s proposal, said James D. Edwards, DC, CEO.

But the International Chiropractors Association has reservations about the proposal, said Ronald M. Hendrickson, Executive Director. “This proposal has a host of potential difficulties and will likely be fought by a majority within the profession, including the ICA.”

Hendrickson said that ICA has convened a study group chaired by Dr. Gary Walsemann, ICA Board Member and Chair of ICA’s Legal Affairs Committee, to review this proposal in detail and to offer a carefully considered response to what, on the surface, raises very serious considerations in many areas. “This is a matter that requires the careful study of all organizations, and individual DCs as well, since the prospects for major shifts in the control of continuing educational courses, their costs and the terms under which those programs are administered, are very real, and may not be in the profession’s best interests,” he said.

The World Chiropractic Alliance is a vocal opponent of the proposal. High among its concerns are two criteria – numbers 17 and 26 -- of the proposal, said Terry Rondberg, DC, head of the WCA.

Criterion 17 addresses the determination of appropriate subject matter, which “must be evidence-based, professionally credible and educationally sound.” Criterion 26 is about post-course assessment. Venders must agree to allow participants to assess their achievement “in accord with the program’s learning objectives.”

“CCE is proposing a takeover of continuing education, in association with FCLB,” Rondberg said.

Liewer said that FCLB is partnering with CCE because CCE knows and understands education, whereas licensing boards are not experts in education. The type of assessment used is up to the education provider, she said. It is not a step toward re-testing for licensing, she emphasized. “We have no intention of going there. This is program assessment only.”

Rondberg and Hendrickson both urge all chiropractors to thoroughly review the proposed program, which is available on FCLB’s Web site, www.fclb.org and to contact Liewer with questions and concerns.

Liewer said the program is only a proposal at this point. It has a long way to go. She likened PACE to giving birth. “It’s been a long gestation period,” she said. “We’re to the point that we can almost figure out if it’s a boy or a girl. There is a lot of opportunity for people to give constructive criticism with real-world solutions.” She added that within 24 hours of sending out a news release on PACE, she had received dozens of e-mails from venders who support the program. “They are looking forward to reducing the paperwork involved in getting programs approved,” she said.

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