Department of Health - Health Manpower Survey

1.1 The chiropractors covered in the 2018 Health Manpower Survey on Chiropractors (HMS-CHIRO) were chiropractors registered with the Chiropractors Council under the Chiropractors Registration Ordinance (Chapter 428) as at the survey reference date of 31 August 2018.

1.3 Of the 229 chiropractors covered, 131 responded to the HMS-CHIRO, giving an overall response rate of 57.2%. Among the respondents, 113 (86.3%) were economically active ^1,2 (active) in the local chiropractic profession and 18 (13.7%) were economically inactive ^1,3 (inactive) (Chart A). The survey results presented in paragraph 1.5 below were based on the 113 responding chiropractors who were practicing in the local chiropractic profession as at 31 August 2018. The percentages presented below may not add up to 100% due to missing responses or rounding.

1.4 Of the 18 inactive chiropractors, 11 (61.1%) reported practising overseas / in the Mainland and seven (38.9%) were not seeking job in the local chiropractic profession during the 30 days before the survey (Chart A). Among the seven chiropractors who reported not practising in Hong Kong and not seeking jobs in the local chiropractic profession, the main reason reported not seeking job included: three (42.9%) were engaged in household duties, two (28.6%) were retired and two (28.6%) were working in other professions.

1.5 Of the 113 active chiropractors enumerated who were practising in the local chiropractic profession, 79 (69.9%) were male and 34 (30.1%) were female, giving an overall sex ratio (males per 100 females) of 232. Two registered chiropractors did not indicate their age and the median age of the remaining 111 active chiropractors enumerated was 41.0 years. The median age of the active female chiropractors enumerated was 34.0 years and that of their male counterparts was 42.5 years.

1.6 The responding active chiropractors enumerated were requested to indicate the characteristics of their main jobs⁴. Distribution by sector for the main job of those enumerated showed that all the 113 active chiropractors enumerated were working in the private sector. Among them, 57 (50.4%) were in group practice and the remaining 56 (49.6%) were in solo practice.

¹ In the survey, the criteria used in defining economically active / inactive followed those recommended by the International Labour Organization, which are also being used by the Census and Statistics Department in Hong Kong.

² "Economically active" chiropractors comprised all "employed" and "unemployed" chiropractors. "Employed" chiropractors referred to those chiropractors practising in the chiropractic profession in Hong Kong during the survey period, while "unemployed" chiropractors referred to those chiropractors who (a) were not practising in the local chiropractic profession during the survey period; (b) had been available for work during the seven days before the survey; AND (c) had sought work in the chiropractic profession during the 30 days before the survey.

³ "Economically inactive" chiropractors comprised the chiropractors who were not practising in the chiropractic profession in Hong Kong during the survey period, but excluding those who had been on leave during the survey period and who were "economically active" but "unemployed".

⁴ Main jobs referred to the jobs in which the chiropractors had spent most of their working time.

1.7 The median age of the active chiropractors enumerated was 44.5 years for those working in solo practice and 34.0 years for those working in group practice.

1.8 Of the 113 active chiropractors enumerated, 112 (99.1%) spent most of their working time on service in chiropractic, and one (0.9%) spent most of their working time on administration / management

1.9 The median number of hours of work (excluding meal breaks) per week of the 113 active chiropractors enumerated was 42.0 hours. Among them, 104 (92.0%) were not required to undertake on-call duty (excluding normal duty) and nine (8.0%) were required to undertake on-call duty (excluding normal duty), with a median of 10.0 hours of on-call duty (excluding normal duty) per week.

1.10 Regarding the average number of consultations / patients encountered per working day, 55 (48.7%) of the active chiropractors enumerated reported to have a range of 11 to 20, 28 (24.8%) reported to have 10 or below, 20 (17.7%) reported to have 21 to 30 and ten (8.8%) reported to have 31 or above

1.11 In terms of the earliest basic qualification in the chiropractic profession, of the 113 active chiropractors enumerated, 67 (59.3%) held Doctoral Degree, 33 (29.2%) held Bachelor’s Degree and 13 (11.5%) held Master’s Degree as their earliest basic qualification.

1.12 Of the 113 active chiropractors enumerated, 67 (59.3%) had received / were receiving additional training after obtaining their earliest basic qualification. Of the 67 active chiropractors enumerated with additional training, 24 (35.8%) held Certificate, ten (14.9%) held Diploma, nine (13.4%) held Master’s Degree, six (9.0%) held Bachelor’s Degree and six (9.0%) held Doctoral Degree as the highest qualification.

1.13 Of the 67 active chiropractors enumerated who had received / were receiving additional training after obtaining their earliest basic qualification, 31 (46.3%) were trained / receiving training in one field only. Among them, ten (32.3%) were trained in chiropractic, four (12.9%) in sport injuries, three (9.7%) each in acupuncture, biomechanics and neurology, two (6.5%) each in musculoskeletal diseases management and rehabilitation, and one (3.2%) each in occupational and industrial health and orthopaedics.

1.14 For the active chiropractors enumerated who had indicated more than one field of additional training, the cumulative total number of active chiropractors enumerated by the field of additional training was 193. Among these 193, 38 (19.7%) were trained in chiropractic, 21 (10.9%) in sports injuries, 20 (10.4%) each in acupuncture and nutrition, and 19 (9.8%) in rehabilitation.

2.1 Comparison of findings of the 2018 HMS-CHIRO with those surveys conducted before 2004 should be made with caution as the survey methods and reference date had been changed ⁵.

2.2 With the enactment of the Chiropractors Registration (Fees) Regulation and the Chiropractors (Registration and Disciplinary Procedure) Rules, Chapter 428 subsidiary legislations A and B, Laws of Hong Kong, registration of the profession of chiropractors commenced on 1 September 2001. Relevant provisions in the Chiropractors Registration Ordinance which prohibit practice of chiropractic by unregistered persons has come into effect on 13 February 2003. Between 1996 and 2018, the number of chiropractors increased from 27 to 229. (Chart B).

2.3 An increasing trend was observed in the proportion of female chiropractors, as indicated by the decrease of sex ratio (males per 100 females) from 2 300 in 1996 to 232 in 2018 (Table A) .

2.4 The mean age of the active chiropractors enumerated remained static at 41.6 years to 43.9 years between 1996 and 2018.

2.5 Except one active chiropractor enumerated who did not indicate the sector of work in the 2005 HMS-CHIRO, all the remaining active chiropractors enumerated from 1996 to 2018 were found practising in private sector (Table A)

⁵ Figures of 1996 and 2000 refer to the number of chiropractors reported by the responding institutions as at the 1 July of the respective years, whereas figures of 2004 to 2007, 2009, 2012, 2015 and 2018 refer to the number of chiropractors registered with the Chiropractors Council as at the 31 August of the respective years.

Chart B: Number of Chiropractors Covered by Year (1996, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2015 and 2018)

Table A : Selected Characteristics of Active Chiropractors Enumerated (1996, 2000, 2004, 2005 ,2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2015 and 2018)

Note:	*	Figures of 1996 and 2000 refer to the number of chiropractors reported by the responding institutions as at the 1 July of the respective years, whereas the figures of 2004 to 2007, 2009, 2012, 2015 and 2018 refer to the number of chiropractors registered with the Chiropractors Council as at the 31 August of the respective years.
	†	In 2004 to 2007, 2009, 2012, 2015 and 2018 HMS-CHIRO, the sector refers to the sector of main job.
		As the number of chiropractors involved was very small, the corresponding statistics should be interpreted with caution.
	‘-'	Not available
	N.A.	Not applicable