Survey Results Net Annual Earnings in 2016 $10,000 to $24,999 $25,000 to $49,999 $50,000 to $74,999 $75,000 to $99,999 $100,000 to $124,999 $125,000 to $149,999 7% 6.25% 15% 19% 17% 11% *To view the full results of the 2017 Canadian Chiropractor Practice and Trends Survey, visit www.canadianchiropractor.ca “People also need to know that there are many ways that we treat the spine -many different techniques.” Majority of respondents (76 per cent) have been in practice for at least 10 years, with the majority (41 per cent) practicing for more than 20 years. Chiropractors in multidisciplinary practices make up more than 60 per cent of practitioners, with the majority (43.5 per cent) working with allied health practices such as RMTs and naturopaths. Only a small number of practices (7.4 per cent) are working in the same clinic with medical doctors. Nearly 12 per cent, however, are in a multidisciplinary clinic with both medical doctors and other allied health practitioners. Thirty per cent are solo practices, while 20 per cent are in group practice with other chiropractors. www.canadianchiropractor.ca This trend of high number of practices in multidisciplinary practices is true across many Canadian provinces, except Manitoba and Quebec, where the majority (80 per cent in both provinces) are either in solo practice or group practice with other chiropractors only. Thirty per cent of chiropractors see between 50 and 100 patients in a typical week, while 24 per cent would see up to 150 patients per week. There is not much change in the length of time a chiropractor spends in clinical practice when com-paring data from the previous year. Seventy-two per cent of DCs spend between 21 and 40 hours a week in clinical prac-tice. Only 17 per cent overall spend less than 20 hours per week in practice. However, some provinces tend to like their short workweek more than others. In B.C., while 34 per cent have a 21-to 30-hour workweek, 23 per cent work less than 20 hours in a typical week. Ontario has a similar trend, with 20 per cent working 20 hours or less, while 35 per cent are in clinic 31 to 40 hours a week. More than half of Alberta chiropractors are working at least 40 hours a week, while less than eight per cent maintain a lighter schedule of 20 hours or less. CHALLENGES Despite getting patient referrals from medical doctors, some chiropractors believe the public and the medical community still have a low trust rating for DCs. In the previous survey (2016), 23 per cent reported receiv-ing up to 30 patient referrals from medical doctors in 2015. However, in the current survey “low trust-level from the public or medical community” was cited as the biggest chal-lenge facing chiropractors today. One respondent notes some public misconceptions about chiropractic: “Most people think that all chiros just crack September 2017 Canadian Chiropractor 17 Photo: fotolia
Chiropractic + Naturopathic Doctor September 2017: Page 17
