HEALTH SERVICE RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
Please note: All posters will be displayed in
Salons 10-12.
THURSDAY, 10:15-11:00 AM
Garner MJ, Birmingham M, Aker P.
Integrated collaboration in existing community health
centres: demonstrating collaboration between chiropractors and interdisciplinary
health care provider teams.
Carlington Community Health Services mgarner@carlington.ochc.org
BACKGROUND: Although the use of chiropractic
services in Canada has increased over the last 10 years, such services
remain outside of those provided for by provincial health care insurance
plans in Ontario. As a result, cost remains a significant deterrent
for people seeking chiropractic treatment, particularly those people
without employer benefits, which usually subsidize chiropractic care.
In response to this access barrier chiropractic care was integrated
into two Community Health Centres (CHC) in Ottawa, Canada. The current
study sought to investigate the efficacy of chiropractic treatment in
a low-income multi-ethnic population, and to evaluate the process of
integration of chiropractic care into two existing community health
centres.
METHODS: More than 300 chiropractic patients
have been followed over 12 weeks of treatment. The efficacy of treatment
was assessed by general health measures (SF-12) and specific disability
indices (Roland Morris, NDI), which were administered pre- and post-intervention.
In addition, we evaluated the changes in attitudes and preconceptions
of the existing medical team to chiropractic through a serious of qualitative
and quantitative measures.
RESULTS: The majority of providers were skeptical
and negative towards chiropractic but open to collaboration. Over the
first six months of care, the integration and collaboration has been
markedly different at the two sites. One site quickly embraced chiropractic
and made it the primary modality for treating musculoskeletal disorders.
The second site took 6 months to accept chiropractic as a viable treatment
option. At both sites the patient outcomes were positive, with significant
changes to the SF-12, Roland Morris and Neck Disability Index scores
between pre and post treatment.
CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that chiropractic
care has an important benefit to provide to disadvantaged populations
and that chiropractic care can be successfully integrated into existing
primary care teams.
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