The challenges facing the chiropractic profession are tremendous. The historical roots of subtle prejudice are still there; only they are intensified by the desire to manage costs/manage care. All practicing chiropractic physicians know firsthand the barriers to accessing their services because of gatekeepers, plan exclusions, plan capitation, etc.
What are we to do? The answer to my questions may very well determine our future!
Who speaks for chiropractic on the national level?
Who is the voice for the chiropractic profession (or do we have multiple voices)?
Where is the partnership between state associations and the national voice?
Who is responsible for establishing and promoting ethical standards, clinical standards and educational standards?
Who is the national advocate for the integrity of the patient/doctor relationship?
Who is dealing with the politicians, government agencies and insurance bureaucrats?
What is the multilevel strategy for portraying the professionalism of today's chiropractic physicians?
Who listens to the field doctor's daily problems?
What are the chiropractic priorities from survival to scholarship?
Who is responsible for guaranteeing the patient's direct access to chiropractic care?
Who is communicating to the many different groups we treat that our health service is non-drug, non-surgical and offers a choice to the patients of America?
Who monitors chiropractic utilization data?
Where do the managed care businesses get their chiropractic utilization standards?
Please watch for my next article in the July 3, 1995 issue of "DC," which will be a follow-up on these questions.
Arnold Cianciulli, BS, DC, MS
Bayonne, New Jersey
