Chiropractic in the Netherlands: The perspective of Dutch medical students

Objective

To investigate Dutch medical students’ knowledge of chiropractic and their vision on the position and scope of chiropractic in the healthcare system in the Netherlands.

Methods

Cross sectional primary data collection in the form of an online questionnaire-based survey. Five hundred and fifty-one medical students in the years 3–6 of medical education in the Netherlands completed the survey.

Results

Ninety-three percent of the medical students who replied had never personally visited a chiropractor. Most students that never had any contact with a chiropractor had only heard of chiropractic (74%), and their chiropractic knowledge based on the experience of friends (69%). The majority of students thought that chiropractic should be considered as alternative therapy, secondary health care, with a focused scope of practice. Fifty-four percent considered co-operation with chiropractic as important. Very few students (5%) were aware of chiropractors’ X-ray experience and only a minority (11%) thought of chiropractic as evidence-based medicine. Headache, neck pain, low back pain and radiculopathy were the conditions perceived as being most treatable by chiropractic.

Conclusions

Dutch medical students’ knowledge of chiropractic is generally poor. This study suggests improving medical students’ knowledge of chiropractic by providing them with information of the profession as part of their medical course.