Chiropractic in Primary Care on the Rise!

An exciting new study funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care is looking at how more Ontarians can benefit from chiropractic care. 

This project, called the Consulting Chiropractor Role in Primary Care Demonstration Project, was developed as part of the Ministry’s Excellent Care for All Strategy. As part of this strategy, provincial initiatives were sought out to enhance patient care, improve wait times and reduce inappropriate diagnostic utilization. The demonstration project, which has recently finished, included the development and evaluation of a consulting chiropractor role in primary care. Specifically, the introduction of assessment clinics for low back pain (LBP) in primary care physician offices. From September 2011 – March 2012, a consulting chiropractor performed an assessment of approximately 30 minutes in length with a patient who had been previously identified as having acute, recurrent or chronic LBP (this is not a treatment model).

The outcome of the assessment was to provide advice and decision support to the physician, and the inherent knowledge transfer that takes place between providers. The objective of the pilot project was to test the feasibility, acceptability and value of this model of care in the Ontario context. Previous studies of chiropractic integration have demonstrated promising results in terms of outcomes, cost-effectiveness and patient satisfaction. The hope is that policy-makers will realize what a valuable resource chiropractic is for Ontarians and make changes that make it more accessible. Stay tuned!