| Objectives: The purpose of this article is to compare chiropractic integration within the health care systems of the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs and to identify practices and policies that may either support or challenge the extent of chiropractic integration within those systems. Methods: As subject matter experts and providers within these systems, our team reviewed enacted legislation, policies, and the literature pertinent to chiropractic practice in Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities, and identified opportunities and threats pertinent to integration. Results: We identified 9 areas wherein potential opportunities and threats to integration existed, including legislative history, programmatic growth, leadership structure, employment status of providers, clinical work duties, patient access, patient demographics, academic affiliations, and research. Conclusion: These findings provide a higher level of understanding regarding the current state and future direction of chiropractic service integration within these integrated health care systems. This abstract is reproduced with the permission of the publisher. Click on the above link for the PubMed record for this document; full text available by subscription. Select a publisher from PubMed's LinkOut feature.
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