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Patient perceptions of chiropractic treatment for primary care disorders.
- Source :
-
Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics [J Manipulative Physiol Ther] 2007 Jan; Vol. 30 (1), pp. 11-6. - Publication Year :
- 2007
-
Abstract
- Objective: Although some surveyed groups of chiropractors consider themselves qualified as primary care providers, consumer attitudes of such may affect practice success. The purpose of this study is to determine chiropractic patients' perception of chiropractors as primary care providers and to determine what disorders patients believe chiropractors can treat.<br />Methods: A 2-page survey was developed to collect information from current chiropractic patients at a teaching chiropractic clinic in the United States. Questions included (1) brief patient demographic information, (2) whether their chiropractor was their primary care physician, and (3) patient beliefs about chiropractors assessing and treating conditions that are common to a primary care medical practice. Conditions listed in the survey were based on a previous study on primary care medical physicians' practices. The sample of chiropractic patients was divided into suburban, urban, and chiropractic university-affiliated patients.<br />Results: There were 163 subjects who responded to this survey for a 58% response rate. Only 19% (30/157) saw their chiropractor as their primary care physician. However, for each 'primary care condition' listed, the percent of patients who affirmed that chiropractors could treat the condition varied greatly with many conditions showing an affirmative response of higher than 50% especially in the urban and university-affiliated patient groups. All patients overwhelmingly believed that chiropractors could treat musculoskeletal conditions.<br />Conclusions: Patients have varied views of what chiropractors can and cannot treat. Further studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of chiropractic treatment for specific primary care disorders. The results of such studies may be the determining influence for public and physician opinion on the appropriateness of chiropractic care for these conditions.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Aged
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Patient Compliance statistics & numerical data
Practice Patterns, Physicians' statistics & numerical data
Surveys and Questionnaires
United States epidemiology
Chiropractic statistics & numerical data
Patient Satisfaction statistics & numerical data
Physician-Patient Relations
Physicians, Family statistics & numerical data
Primary Health Care statistics & numerical data
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1532-6586
- Volume :
- 30
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 17224350
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmpt.2006.11.007