Economic case for the integration of chiropractic services into the healthcare system

The role and position of chiropractic care in the health care system must b e transformed from bring alternative and separate to alternative and mainst ream. This transformation requires that chiropractic services become integr ated in the many health care delivery organizations that collectively const itute the health care system. There is solid and impressive economic and re lated justification for the desired integration. Chiropractic care is a cos t-effective alternative to the management of neuromusculoskeletal condition s by other professions. It is also safer and increasingly accepted by the p ublic, as reflected in the growing use and high patient retention rates. Th ere is much and repeated evidence that patients prefer chiropractic care ov er other forms of care for the more common musculoskeletal conditions. The public interest will be well served by this transformation. Musculoskeletal disorders and injuries are the second and third most costly categories of health problems in economic burden-or-illness studies. They rank first as a cause in the prevalence of chronic health problems and long-term disabilit y and rank at the top for activity limitations and short-term disability. T hey rank first as a reason for consultation with a health professional and second as a reason for the use of prescription and nonprescription drugs. T hese conditions are more prevalent among the poor, lower-middle income grou ps, and the elderly, yet those are precisely the group, that make the least use of chiropractic care for reasons of inadequate insurance coverage. The integration of chiropractic care into the health care system should serve to reduce health care costs, improve accessibility to needed care, and impr ove health outcomes.