Course Name: National Certified Clinical Chiropractic Assistant Training
Catalog Course # CAT34
Description
This course will prepare students for a career as certified clinical chiropractic assistants. Topics covered include chiropractic principles, human anatomy, history taking, patient charting and record keeping, medical terminology, management of patient conditions, physiotherapy (Ultrasound, HV and LV EMS, IFC, Traction, Decompression, Massage, Superficial Heat, Cryotherapy, Light Therapy, Therapeutic Exercise), clinic maintenance, emergency procedures CPR, professional standards, ethics, conduct, boundary training, insurance. The goal of this course is to prepare students with the job skills necessary to be Certified Clinical Chiropractic Assistants (CCCA). Upon completion of this course, students will be able to assist their doctor safely and effectively with patient healthcare needs (e.g., history taking, record keeping, daily treatment notes, physiotherapy modalities, and active rehab therapies). They will be able to effectively communicate, orally and in writing, with patients, health care professionals, and insurance companies utilizing acquired knowledge of common chiropractic conditions, medical terminology, anatomy, ICD-9, CPT coding, chiropractic principles, and philosophy. They will understand patient privacy and the laws, rules, and regulations to conduct themselves ethically, professionally, and legally. Students will be able to identify emergencies and take appropriate action.
This 36-hour course is broken into 1-hour sections. All lesson quizzes are multiple-choice. There are 144 possible points for this course. Each quiz consists of 4 questions designed to test knowledge of the lesson, objectives, and section goals. Students must successfully answer 3 of the 4 questions correctly to receive completion for that individual section. Students must attain an overall score of 108 out of 144, which is equivalent to 75% or better to pass the course. Students will be allowed to retake each section quiz after re-studying the course material for a minimum of 5 minutes. Each section has a multiple-choice test, there are 144 possible points for this course.
Prerequisites
Students must be 18 years of age or older and have their high school diploma or GED prior to starting this course. This course requires no preparation, prerequisites, or prior training.
Clinical Supervision
Students will be encouraged to practice the techniques or procedures learned under the supervision of a doctor. Students should not practice any technique or procedure learned in this course without the direct supervision of a DC. The (Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Board) recommends that Chiropractic Assistants wanting the distinction of Certified Clinical Chiropractic Assistants (CCCA) must successfully pass the CCCA Licensing Exam and perform 300 hours of supervised clinical experience within a year of passing the exam. Most states require that the CA be always under direct supervision regardless of their title.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of the CCCA Training Program the Student will be able to:
1. Identify ethical issues dealing with professional rights, responsibilities, duties, and standards of conduct by exploring legal statutes from various states with regard to Chiropractors and CCCAs.
2. Define doctor conduct, professional CCCA conduct, patient conduct, and unprofessional conduct.
3. Recognize unprofessional conduct, improper billing, harassment, violence, drug or alcohol use, and potential conflicts of interest.
4. Identify ethical issues dealing with professional rights and responsibilities
5. Understand what HIPAA is and the legal ramifications of patient privacy
6. Discuss chiropractic history and D.C.’s education.
7. Discuss principles of chiropractic and philosophy
8. Explain the components of the vertebral subluxation complex.
9. Identify anatomical structures, and describe body system functions
10. Discuss spinal pain syndromes, myotomes, dermatomes, and psychosomatic disorders.
11. Develop communication skills utilizing techniques that address healthcare boundaries, Active listening, body language, and matching and mirroring.
12. Understand the importance of a patient’s informed consent, and the need for acquiring a signed patient’s informed consent prior to treatment.
13. Identify the key components of a patient history and perform a patient history.
14. Broaden understanding of special circumstances that require additional history taking kills such as motor vehicle accidents or work injuries
15. Discuss and describe various radiographic studies and diagnostic procedures for a patient.
16. Learn how to develop an X-Ray
17. Perform and document measurements for both passive and active cervical and lumbar R.O.M. with the use of a goniometer.
18. Recognize equipment used to perform examinations.
19. Perform vitals (height, weight, temperature blood pressure, pulse, and respiration) using professional boundaries, patient privacy, and safe and hygienic procedures.
20. Identify normal findings as well as variant and abnormal vital sign findings. Recognize patient apprehension.
21. Differentiate between commonly treated conditions
22. Identify the flags of care and recognize conditions that are contraindicated or require special precautions for chiropractic treatment and the importance of notifying the doctor
23. Recognize conditions that are contraindicated or require special precautions for chiropractic treatment.
24. Utilize medical terminology, prefixes, and suffixes.
25. Understand the purpose of notes.
26. Identify the components of a note ( S.O.A.P.) for charting.
27. Properly document a patient’s chart using techniques for medical documentation and common abbreviations.
28. Identify pertinent information necessary to acquire from the patient
29. Set up a medical file.
30. Understand the legal responsibilities of maintaining patient records including storage, security, and release of records; and develop protocols for requesting or releasing records.
31. Manage patient flow.
32. Answer the phone and schedule a new patient and an existing patient.
33. Understand and utilize billing terminology and coding when communicating with patients, healthcare professionals and insurance companies.
34. Perform and insurance verifications.
35. Complete an HCFA1500 billing form.
36. Write an appeal letter to an insurance company.
37. Recognize life-threatening or emergency situations and the CCCA’s responsibilities.
38. Develop skills necessary to provide emergency care procedures in providing First Aid and CPR. Discuss the importance of calm communication with the patient and collaborating with other staff members and other health care professionals.
39. Learn how to document procedures and understand the legal implications associated with providing emergency care.
40. Define and understand physiotherapy & the scope of physical therapeutics
41. Discuss the physiology of healing & repair
42. Use safety standards to protect themselves and patients with regards to maintenance of clinic and equipment, patient modesty, gowning, and draping.
43. Position patients on the table supine, prone, and on their side.
44. Identify physiotherapy tools, instrumentation, and various modalities.
45. Assist with patient education and home health care devices, application, and monitoring of home care or referral compliance.
46. Identify indications and contraindications for each type of therapy
47. Document therapy properly
48. Perform safely the following modalities/therapy:
a. Ultrasound (surface and underwater)
b. Electric muscle stimulation (low volt, high volt, interferential current)
c. Thermal (heat) modalities (hot packs, paraffin)
d. Cryotherapy (contrast bath, ice pack, ice massage)
e. Manual therapy, myofascial release, and trigger point therapy
f. Traction and decompression
g. Cold laser
h. Therapeutic exercises include stretches and strengthening exercises for the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions of the spine.
i. Rehabilitation techniques. Understand the concepts of postural conditions. Explore phasic and postural muscles. Learn how to perform and instruct patients on ball exercises that address specific postural conditions.
j. Neuromuscular reeducation-learn how to perform post-isometric relaxation Stretching and instruct patients on balance board exercises.
Approvals
PACE #127
NVCPB Approval #NV26-000
CE Broker #895381