Time to Eliminate Unethical Business Practices
Dear Editor:
I was just reading the article about ethics from Dr. Sportelli in the latest issue (Dec. 16, 2008 DC: "What's the Difference Between Greed and Ethics?"), and I am bothered by one major problem with our industry and how your journal affects it. I believe that something has to be done to rid chiropractic of all the unethical business practices that work on the fear of chiropractors and patients.
We need to police ourselves, but this includes accepting a little pain by not taking monies from questionable organizations. Please remember that it is important to not allow our trade journals (including DC) to accept funds from these unethical sources. Our industry is good and could be great if we checked at the door our use of fear in reaching the goal of selling chiropractic to patients.
We need to be honest with ourselves and the science behind chiropractic. Honestly, I am embarrassed to show a patient that I read the trade journals (including DC). They are all filled with ads about how to make more money without working hard. This gives us a very bad image. Please realize that this article in your journal makes your company look a little hypocritical.
Bob Benaderet, DC
Long Beach, Calif.
Letters to the Editor should be submitted to editorial@mpamedia.com. Please include your name, degree(s) and city/state in which you practice.
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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