New study Links Chiropractors as First Healthcare Provider to reduction in lost time from work/reduced cost for Worker’s Compensation claims
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 We need to move to a more evidence based system that is grounded in research rather than outdated models of care.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.