With only five days left to save on ACA Conference registration with the early bird discount, what better time than now to read all about this year’s conference in Melbourne.
The theme of Interdisciplinary Spinal Health may be a mouthful to say, but this unique conference experience will be nothing short of the latest research, fantastic networking opportunities and an exhibition filled with great resources for you to take into practice on Monday.
According to the Department of Human Services, ‘an interdisciplinary approach involves team members from different disciplines working collaboratively, with a common purpose, to set goals, make decisions and share resources and responsibilities.’¹
There are countless benefits to an interdisciplinary healthcare approach including improving patient outcomes, healthcare processes and levels of satisfaction.2 It can also reduce length of stay in hospitals 3 and avoid duplication of assessments, leading to more comprehensive and holistic records of care.4
Several authors have also identified a reduction in rates of medical errors when interprofessional collaboration is strong and teams are trained to work safely, cooperatively, and in a coordinated way to avoid gaps in quality assurance measures.5
Whilst chiropractors can help manage many conditions, patients may present symptoms that require a combined type of care, and effectively working with other healthcare professionals is ‘fundamental to a chiropractor’s place in healthcare,’ stated Dr Warren Genders, ACA Board Member and Chair of the CPD Committee .
“It’s really about making sure delegates broaden their horizons, how they look at the human body and how they can work with other professions to get a better outcome for their patients,” said Dr Genders
We are pleased to introduce the five distinguished keynotes speakers presenting this year. Drs Wayne Warburton (Developmental Psychologist), Tim Burkhart (Chiropractor), Pierre Bradley (Specialist Anaesthetist), Patrick Chan (Neurosurgeon) and Anthony Nicholson (Chiropractor) will bring their years of professional knowledge and experience.
There are also a number of local speakers who have been invited to present including Drs Lyndon Armin-Woods, Michael Shobbrook, Peter Dun, Greg Parkin-Smith and Helen Sexton.
Excitedly for the first time this year, the conference will include a stream for chiropractic assistants (CA). This dedicated stream, presented by Vikki Kelly and Berni Ireland, will focus on bridging the gap between CAs and chiropractors in practice as well as implementing best practice strategies for communication and synergy.
The weekend will feature the annual Research Symposium, which will highlight recent scientific developments in the field, allowing delegates to stay up-to-date with the latest in chiropractic research.
The ability and capacity to work with different people from an array of professional backgrounds will inevitably help elevate the level of care chiropractors provide to patients, that’s why the 2019 ACA Conference is not to be missed. For more information and to register before the early bird ends, visit acaconference.org.au
1Department of Human Services 2008, Health independence programs guidelines, State Government, Melbourne.
2Fewster-Thuente L & Velsor-Friedrich B 2008, ‘Interdisciplinary collaboration for healthcare professionals’, Nursing Administration Quarterly, 32(1):40-48.
3Curley C, McEachern JE & Speroff T 1998, ‘A firm trial of interdisciplinary rounds on the inpatient medical wards – An intervention designed using continuous quality improvement’, Medical Care, 36(8):AS4-AS12.
4Jacob A, Roe D, Merrigan R & Brown T 2013, ‘The Casey Allied Health Model of Interdisciplinary Care (CAHMIC): Development and implementation’, International Journal of Therapy & Rehabilitation, 20(8):387-395.
5Morley L., Cashell A. 2017, ‘Collaboration in Health Care,’ Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences, 48 (2), pp. 207-216.
