New study Links Chiropractors as First Healthcare Provider to reduction in lost time from work/reduced cost for Worker’s Compensation claims

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A new study published in the Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation1 which involved over 5500 injured workers in Ontario suggests that choosing who you see first when you are injured at work may be more important than you think. The study which was conducted by researchers from the University of Montreal found that when injured workers saw a Chiropractor as their first healthcare provider, those workers experienced shorter periods of 100% wage compensation and returned to work faster when compared to other primary care providers studied.

 

Dr. Darrell J Wade DC, CEO of the Newfoundland and Labrador Chiropractic Association is not surprised by this research “It is no surprise that getting an injury attended to by the right healthcare provider quickly should reduce the duration of illness. With the vast majority of workplace injuries involving the joints and muscles it shouldn’t take a group of researchers to figure out that a chiropractor as the first provider of care makes sense.” said Wade.

 

According to Wade however, Chiropractors as a first contact for workplace injuries in NL is far from the norm. “Unfortunately, chiropractors in our current system in NL are heavily underutilized which results in significant delays in patients getting appropriate care from a chiropractor. All too often these patients are not getting to us until 3 months after an injury and at that point the chance of success decreases significantly. We need to move to a more evidence based system that is grounded in research rather than outdated models of care. It is time for employers and injured workers to demand a better system as doing it the old way is just not an option anymore in the face of research that says the old way is not the best way. ”

1Blanchette, MA., Rivard, M., Dionne, C.E. et al. J Occup Rehabil (2016). doi:10.1007/s10926-016-9667-9

 

 

About the Newfoundland and Labrador Chiropractic Association
The Newfoundland and Labrador Chiropractic Association (NLCA) is the organization responsible for representing Newfoundland and Labrador’s licensed doctors of chiropractic. The NLCA advocates on behalf of members and their patients to advance the quality and accessibility of chiropractic care in Newfoundland and Labrador, and to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the healthcare system.

 

For further information on this study visit nlchiropractic.ca or contact the NLCA office at nlca@nl.rogers.com or (709) 739-7762.

 

Chiropractors remain underutilized by province’s health care system

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The CEO of the Provincial Chiropractic Association responded today to media attention surrounding the need for physicians to choose more wisely when it comes to the type of care a patient receives. Dr. Darrell Wade DC suggested that not enough is being done to make real changes to the way that health services are delivered in NL. “The health care model that we currently use has so much room for improvement, and there are proven ways to improve health care but it can’t happen unless we are ready to let go of perceptions that keep us doing what we have always done.” Wade was speaking in reference to programs like the Inter-professional Spine Assessment and Education Clinics (ISAEC) in Ontario which use Chiropractors and Advance Practice Physiotherapists to assess patients before they are referred to specialists such as orthopaedic surgeons. “ What they found” said Wade “ was that when patients were seen by one of these expertly trained professionals first, over 90% of cases were diverted from specialists and surgeons’ offices and the use of tests such as MRI’s was reduced by over 30%. That is what is required here yet there is resistance to move towards this type of model. We need to really ask what is holding us back and be prepared to answer honestly if anything is going to change for the better”

The ISAEC program which started in 2012 is funded by the government of Ontario and Wade suggested that the NL government should be looking at similar models if there is a real desire to make meaningful change. Wade went on to say “This is just one program that could have a drastic impact on reducing wait times and health care costs and improving outcomes. There are many more like this one that are used successfully in other parts of the country yet in NL we continue to do what we have always done. The problem with this is that you can’t do what you have always done and expect a different outcome….it just doesn’t work like that. Chiropractors are experts in assessing and treating back pain but the system is stuck in a model that places real barriers to the best provider of care being accessible to patients. Unfortunately until this changes we will continue to reap what we sow.”

More information on the Inter-professional Spine Assessment and education Clinics can be found at www.isaec.org

 

About the Newfoundland and Labrador Chiropractic Association
The Newfoundland and Labrador Chiropractic Association (NLCA) is the organization responsible for representing Newfoundland and Labrador’s 68 licensed doctors of chiropractic. The NLCA advocates on behalf of members and their patients to advance the quality and accessibility of chiropractic care in Newfoundland and Labrador, and to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the healthcare system. For more information on the NLCA or for a referral to a doctor of chiropractic, please visit www.nlchiropractic.ca.

For further information, contact the NLCA office at nlca@nl.rogers.com or (709) 739-7762