| Abstract/Notes |
In the past, when most patients paid their own bills, satisfying patients ensured the majority of chiropractors a satisfactory income. Today, when the number of patients who pay their own bills is constantly diminishing, satisfying patients may no longer suffice to guarantee the majority of chiropractors a satisfactory income unless chiropractors also meet the eligibility requirements established by insurers. One requirement frequently mentioned is objective testing of therapeutic outcomes by controlled clinical trials. To make sure the profession meets this requirement of insurers, the profession's leaders should set up a clinical trial task force. Carrying out clinical trials would also parry the attempts of those who would cut short the independent existence of the chiropractic profession by replacing it with a fast growing branch of medicine known as manipulative medicine.
Author keywords: chiropractic, health insurance benefits, outcome and process assessment in health care, orthopedic manipulation, attitudes of health personnel, interprofessional relations, patient acceptance of health care, physical medicine
Author affiliation: Associate Professor of Anatomy, National College of Chiropractic
This abstract is reproduced with the permission of the publisher. Article only available in print.
|
