The Price of Medical Technology
The opening remarks of the monograph presented by the Quebec Task Force on Whiplash-Related Disorders1 included an interesting comment on medical technology as it relates to third-party reimbursement:
"Since World War II, there has been pressure to depend more on sophisticated technology. Such technology often goes through a trendy 'fad phase' and is not always subjected to rigorous scientific evaluation before its use becomes widespread. The price paid by society for such shortcomings is aggravated by procedure-oriented fee-for-service reimbursement schemes that reward 'doing' much more than 'thinking.'"Reference
1. Spitzer WO, et al. Scientific monograph of the Quebec Task Force on Whiplash-Related Disorders: Redefining "whiplash and its management." Spine 1995;8S:10S
When I graduated from chiropractic college in 1981 and started practice, I heard it all, and very little was positive. “You are a quack; you do not know what a subluxation is; you couldn’t get into a real health care program, so you chose the one that is slightly above a mail-order degree; you have no proof that chiropractic works; Are you really licensed?”, and so much more.
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A central challenge in creating our identity is that chiropractic is a method of care, not a technique or procedure. This is an important concept for us to promote. Our patients are treated with lifestyle modification, exercise, nutritional supplements, diet and a whole-body approach to accelerate the natural healing process. We are not simply CMT providers.
The results of a global survey released late last year (2023) unveiled some startling findings among medical and nursing students. The “Clinician of the Future: 2023 Education Edition” surveyed 2,212 students, of which 446 were in the United States, from 91 countries.
