A major chiropractic malpractice insurance program has decided to directly confront the controversial issue of whether it is legal and ethical for chiropractors to solicit people to be research subjects and then to treat them as patients. As a result of a front-page article in Dynamic Chiropractic, "Vertebral Subluxation Research Institute VSRI (a.k.a. OUTREACH 2000) Is It Research? Is It Legal?" October 1, 1989 issue, the National Chiropractic Council (NCC), an insurance buying group for California chiropractors under the Federal Liability Risk Retention Act of 1986, and its insurer, PROMED Intrnational Ltd., have decided to create a specific policy exclusion for claims by patients who were formerly solicited to be research subjects. Moreover, their application for membership in the NCC and for chiropractic malpractice insurance will now contain a question designed to screen out practitioners who engage in such a practice.
A spokesperson for the NCC stated, "We believe that the practice of asking or soliciting people to be research subjects and then converting them into paying patients would, in most cases, be considered illegal and unethical solicitation of patients. While it is conceivable that there could be instances where true research was being conducted which led a person to seek care, we believe that such a practice is more likely to be a marketing scheme to get paying clients while conducting little or no true scientific research, data gathering, and compilation and thesis testing. Malpractice insurance covers claims for negligent treatments and is not intended to cover research, much less unethical and illegal acts.
"The NCC so strongly disapproves of illegally soliciting patients that our application for NCC membership and insurance now includes a question asking if the applicant has ever treated a patient who was formerly his or her research subject. A 'yes' answer would suggest to us that the practitioner has questionable judgement or ethics. Thus a 'yes' would probably disqualify the applicant from NCC membership and inclusion in our malpractice program. Our program is based, in large part, upon careful screening to select practitioners with good sense who engage in prudent practices.
"In our opinion, it's important to screen out practitioners who lack the sense or the scruples to reject a practice which is likely to be viewed by the public as a ruse and which exposes the entire chiropractic profession to changes of unprofessional or even illegal conduct."
When sports chiropractors first appeared at the Olympic Games in the 1980s, it was alongside individual athletes who had experienced the benefits of chiropractic care in their training and recovery processes at home. Fast forward to Paris 2024, where chiropractic care was available in the polyclinic for all athletes, and the attitude has now evolved to recognize that “every athlete deserves access to sports chiropractic."
It is estimated that 61% of patients with CTS avoid taking surgical options due to postoperative complications and costly surgical procedures. Chiropractic care offers a comprehensive and effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome, addressing the condition from multiple angles. Recent studies also have unveiled a game-changing adjunct to chiropractic treatments for CTS: nerve flossing.
Some doctors thrive in a personality-based clinic and have a loyal following no matter what services or equipment they offer, but for most chiropractic offices who are trying to grow and expand, new equipment purchases help us stay relevant and continue to service our client base in the best, most up-to-date manner possible. So, regarding equipment purchasing: should you lease, get a bank loan, or pay cash?
