Old Patient Files Shed New Light on B.J. Palmer

Some 6,000 detailed patient files, documenting the chiropractic
care conducted on thousands of patients at the B.J. Palmer clinics
from the 1930s to the 1960s, are in the process of being
electronically captured for use by researchers and field doctors.
These files cast a new light on the pioneering chiropractic research
done by Dr. Palmer and his associates at the time.

Dr. Lisa Killinger, a 1983 Palmer graduate who is leading the 
project at Palmer Center, remarked at the attention to detail and
amount of documentation contained in the files.  "I began to realize
what dedication B.J. Palmer had to research.  He utilized every
state-of-the-art tool available at the time to assess the Palmer 
clinics patients before and after their adjustments."

Dr. Killinger also noted the type of patients and conditions that
came for treatment: "Patients came to the Palmer clinics by
ambulance, in wheelchairs, and on crutches to be cared for at
perhaps one of the best facilities that chiropractic had to offer
at the time.  From my preliminary review of the files, they did not
come just for back and neck pain.  About half the patients came in
with viscerosomatic or neuromuscular disease."

The records contain much more information than generally included
in patient files.  Patients were monitored almost daily during the
course of care.  Besides chiropractic exams and adjustments, other
procedures that were performed included daily patient diaries; 
weekly physical exams; complete blood counts and blood pressure
monitoring; and radiographic studies done preadjustment, in the
interim, and postadjustment.

These patient files will one day be available via computer, and will
serve as a resource to them and the entire profession.  Access to
these records will allow chiropractors to pursue future research
projects such as epidemiological or case studies, using faster, more
reliable methods for evaluation and analysis.

To date, about one-tenth of the patient files have been entered into
two different databases; one contains key information from each 
patient file, while the other contains the complete patient file.  
The data entry stage of this project will continue for the next 
several years.  Once the databases are complete, Dr. Killinger 
plans to write a cross-sectional, descriptive study of the 
chiropractic care provided in the Palmer clinics from the 1930s to
the 1960s.

For more information about these patient files, you can reach 
Dr. Killinger at XXX XXX-XXXX (number intentionally left blank).

Dynamic Chiropractic, May 5, 1997