A recent study highlights a significant disparity in continuing education (CE) requirements across healthcare professions, revealing barriers that specifically hinder the professional development of chiropractors (DCs). The research compared state licensing board information and found that non-DC professionals, including medical doctors (MDs), doctors of osteopathy (DOs), and athletic trainers (ATs), are afforded significantly more opportunities to earn CE credit for research and academic activities. Specifically, MDs, DOs, and ATs are recognized for CE credit for teaching and/or research in all 50 states. In sharp contrast, the study found that only 16 states (32%) allow DCs to claim CE credit for engaging in research activities, and only half of states recognize credit for teaching. The research team concludes that this regulatory barrier is highly likely to be hindering the chiropractic profession’s overall research capacity, compounding the existing shortage of DCs trained and experienced in clinical research. Given the need for practitioners to remain current with the rapid proliferation of health literature, the article issues a call to action, recommending that state chiropractic boards reconsider their policies to allow CE credit for research and teaching, thereby supporting practice-based research and moving the profession forward.

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