Detailed Approach to Using the DuBarry Technique Standardization
By Dr. Etienne DuBarry · Original document · 28 pages
This document explains the rationale for a standardized description of hands-on techniques and how a technical chart connects a technique number to its complete description.
It covers the history of hands-on documentation, the purpose of a technical chart, and the simplified seven-variable and full fourteen-variable DuBarry descriptions. Patient positions, practitioner positions, contacts, and movements form a consistent vocabulary for communicating a technique.
What is a technical chart?
A technical chart is a reference that connects numbered hands-on techniques to consistent descriptions. The document distinguishes a familiar technique name from a description of how the technique is performed, including patient position, practitioner position, contacts, and movements.
Once a technique has been described in the chart, its number can be referenced in daily documentation. The detailed description remains available to a qualified colleague reviewing the chart.
The simplified and full DuBarry descriptions
A simplified description using seven primary variables
The simplified approach introduces a seven-column description organized around the most significant variables. It gives readers a starting point for differentiating techniques and understanding the notation.
A full description using fourteen variables
The full approach pairs primary and secondary variables in seven columns. The upper and lower entries capture the details of patient and practitioner positions, anatomical contacts, and movements needed to distinguish one setup from another.
Core and extremity positions
The framework distinguishes the core, including the spine, head, and pelvis, from the extremities. A core position may be seated, standing, prone, supine, or side-lying. An extremity description considers the position of the affected articulation, such as neutral, flexed, or extended.
Connecting classification and documentation
The same vocabulary is intended to describe HVLA, LVHA, and LVLA techniques. The classification of hands-on treatment explains these families in terms of movement velocity, amplitude, and patient participation.
In DocuHandsOn, the videos introduce the technical-chart workflow first. These documents provide the background for readers who want to explore its terminology in more detail.