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This is an interesting article I found in a Toronto, CANADA newspaper
By working together, doctors and chiropractors hope to create health teams to enhance patient care
Chiropractor Dr. Candice Gibbs advises GPs on best treatment plans.
When a patient’s low back pain did not resolve with exercises, weight loss and medication, Kingston physician Dr. Joy Hataley selected the patient to be assessed by a chiropractor through an innovative demonstration project called “Consulting Chiropractor Role in Primary Care” — a new initiative aimed at improving care for Ontarians with acute or chronic lower back pain.
After careful assessment, the chiropractor found out that the patient was sleeping on her stomach, which was hyperextending her lower back. He suggested that she attach a simple device with a rubber ball on her stomach to keep her from turning onto her front while sleeping. “It was a very simple and inexpensive technique that the chiropractor proposed, which helped the patient tremendously,” says Dr. Hataley.
The demonstration project, which was funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, took place between Sept. 2011 and March 2012. A total of 213 patients suffering from acute or chronic lower back pain were referred by physicians to chiropractors at four different sites across the province. “It was a win-win situation, as the physicians and chiropractors learnt from each other’s approach to back pain,” Dr. Hataley explains, “and the patients benefitted from the expertise of both care providers.”
Dr. Candice Gibbs, a consulting chiropractor in the demonstration project in Oakville appreciated the collaborative process. “After each assessment, I would have a quick discussion with the physician,” she says. “There was excellent knowledge transfer between me and the GPs that benefitted the patient enormously.”
That process also resulted in a streamlining of referrals to surgeons by figuring out which patients could be managed instead with pharmaceutical treatment and conservative care by other healthcare practitioners, such as physiotherapists, acupuncturists and massage therapists. “About 90 per cent of patients are not good candidates for surgery,” notes Dr. Gibbs, “so they must have other options to improve their quality of life.”
Ideally, these health teams will become more common, providing a onestop shop for many patient needs, including nutrition counselling by dietitians and foot care by chiropodists. The aim is to enhance patient outcomes, save patient time and government healthcare dollars.
According to Dr. Hataley, collaboration is becoming the norm among healthcare practitioners. “Everyone has their areas of expertise and their limitations,” she says. “When we consult with each other, it’s better for everybody.”
via Blogger http://chiropractic-lane.blogspot.com/2013/09/chiropractors-and-doctors-workjing.html
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