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Monica Smith, DC, PhD1, Barry Greene, PhD2, Mitchell Haas, DC, MA3, and Junlin Liao, MBA, MHA, MS2. (1) Palmer Center for Chiropractic Research, Palmer College of Chiropractic, 741 Brady Street, Davenport, IA 52803, (2) College of Public Health, University of Iowa, E220B GH, Iowa City, IA 52242, (3) Division of Research, Western States Chiropractic College, 2900 NE 132nd Ave., Portland, OR 97230, 503-251-5728, mhaas@wschiro.edu
More information is needed about the coordination of chiropractic with conventional health care. This project surveyed all chiropractors (N=1,111) and medical primary care providers (N=1,561) in Iowa in 2003 to measure patterns of referrals/consults and bidirectional communication between the two practitioner types. Based on preliminary survey response rate of 40%, most respondent MDs report that a patient asked them for information about chiropractic (86%), or for a referral to a chiropractor (74%). Over 99% of respondent DCs have recommended that a patient seek medical care and 90% of DCs have formally referred a patient to an MD. Significantly less MDs ever recommended to a patient that they try chiropractic (64%) or formally referred to a chiropractor (30%). Medical doctors most typically refer patients within profession via formal referrals to a specific MD. Those MDs that do recommend chiropractic to a patient are more likely to handle it as a “lay referral” by recommending that the patient contact a chiropractor on their own (88%) rather than initiating a formal referral with a specific chiropractor. The exchange of clinical information during inter-professional formal referrals and follow-ups to referrals exhibited similar disparate patterns. Seventy percent of MDs that formally refer to MD peers will always/usually exchange patient records, reports or other clinical information, and 98% will always/usually send a reason for referral; whereas 42% of MDs formally referring to DCs will always/usually send patient clinical information to the DC and 83% will send a reason for referral.
Learning Objectives:
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.