And here is how I plan to get the Nobel Prize…by copying cutting edge chiropractic science!

For many years, I have been impressed with the high quality and originality of chiropractic research. Here is the abstract of a particularly remarkable, new investigation.

The purpose of this study was to compare characteristics, likelihood to use, and actual use of chiropractic care for US survey respondents with positive and negative perceptions of doctors of chiropractic (DCs) and chiropractic care.

From a 2015 nationally representative survey of 5422 adults (response rate, 29%), we used respondents’ answers to identify those with positive and negative perceptions of DCs or chiropractic care. We used the χ² test to compare other survey responses for these groups.

Positive perceptions of DCs were more common than those for chiropractic care, whereas negative perceptions of chiropractic care were more common than those for DCs. Respondents with negative perceptions of DCs or chiropractic care were less likely to know whether chiropractic care was covered by their insurance, more likely to want to see a medical doctor first if they were experiencing neck or back pain, less likely to indicate that they would see a DC for neck or back pain, and less likely to have ever seen a DC as a patient, particularly in the recent past. Positive perceptions of chiropractic care and negative perceptions of DCs appear to have greater influence on DC utilization rates than their converses.

CONCLUSION:

We found that US adults generally perceive DCs in a positive manner but that a relatively high proportion has negative perceptions of chiropractic care, particularly the costs and number of visits required by such care. Characteristics of respondents with positive and negative perceptions were similar, but those with positive perceptions were more likely to plan to use-and to have already received-chiropractic care.

END OF ABSTRACT

I bet you are dying to learn who the authors of this impressive article are. Here is the full list and their affiliations:
Weeks WB¹, Goertz CM², Meeker WC³, Marchiori DM⁴.

• ¹Chair, Clinical and Health Services Research Program, Palmer Center for Chiropractic Research, Davenport, IA; Professor, The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Hanover, NH. Electronic address: [email protected].
• ²Vice Chancellor, Research and Health Policy, Palmer College of Chiropractic, Palmer Center for Chiropractic Research, Davenport, IA.
• ³President, Palmer College of Chiropractic West Campus, San Jose, CA.
• ⁴Chancellor, Palmer College of Chiropractic, Davenport, Iowa.

Not just inexperienced novices then! The authors belong to the crème de la crème of the chiropractic establishment and research!!!

In comparison, I feel like a mere beginner. But let me nevertheless try to design my own study along similar lines. It is so brilliant that I might even get the Nobel Prize for it. Here we go:

The purpose of my study would be to compare characteristics, likelihood to use, and actual use of spectacles for survey respondents with positive and negative perceptions of spectacles and opticians***. From a nationally representative survey of about 5000 adults, I would use the respondents’ answers to identify those with positive and negative perceptions of spectacles and opticians. My results would show that positive perceptions of opticians are more common than those for spectacles, whereas negative perceptions of spectacles are more common than those for opticians. Respondents with negative perceptions of opticians or spectacles were less likely to know whether spectacles were covered by their insurance, more likely to want to see a medical doctor first, if they were experiencing poor eye-sight, less likely to indicate that they would see an optician for poor eye-sight, and less likely to have ever seen an optician as a patient, particularly in the recent past. Positive perceptions of spectacles and negative perceptions of opticians appear to have greater influence on optician utilization rates than their converses. From these data, I would conclude that my sample generally perceive opticians in a positive manner but that a relatively high proportion has negative perceptions of spectacles, particularly the costs and number of visits required for getting them. Characteristics of respondents with positive and negative perceptions were similar, but those with positive perceptions were more likely to plan to use – and to have already received – care from opticians.

*** instead of opticians and spectacles, I might also opt for other things like

• acupuncturists and needles,
• aroma-therapists and essential oils,
• herbalists and herbs,
• fast food restaurants and hamburgers,
• politicians and politics,
• priests and religion,
• etc., etc.

YOU MUST AGREE, THIS DESERVES A NOBEL PRIZE!

I thank the authors of the above paper for having inspired me with their ground-breaking science. In case they receive a Nobel Prize before I do, I congratulate them on their extraordinary achievement in designing, conducting and publishing this truly cutting-edge investigation.