PUBLIC MESSAGING TO INCREASE CHIROPRACTIC UTILIZATION By Dr. Don Nixdorf, Executive Director, BCCA/BCCC Increased public awareness regarding health care and outcomes is contributing to higher utilization of chi- ropractic. This is evident in some provinces including Alberta and British Columbia. Recent surveys by Ipsos Reid advise that 25 per cent of the population in these provinces visited their family chiropractor in 2007. This is particularly striking, during a time where fees are in- creasingly paid by the patient. There is no single explanation for this significant in- crease in utilization of chiropractic care. Several expla- nations include the dedication of DCs to their patients in producing daily practice-based evidence, consistent province-wide public information focussing on each patient’s reality, and unprecedented partnerships with health authorities. Practice-based evidence, the patient’s response to ad- justment at each offi ce visit, cumulates in the majority of chiropractic offi ces and continues to be the corner- stone of patient demand for necessary care regardless of who pays. This reinforces the fact that the great- est untapped resource in health care is the consumer. Well-informed patients get better care and also assist in better prevention. The issue, at hand, is how to get the right information into the hands of the right person and at the right time. The public looks their to provincial health sources for information. Information results in a subsequent increase in utilization of services. It is recognized, through patient feedback as well as health authority commentary, that province- wide messages, primarily on television, demonstrate the greatest impact. Message themes and information have been produced with factors that would motivate individuals to call their chiro- practic doctor in mind. These include messages about injury pre- vention, as well as the common circumstances that bring each person to a first offi ce visit. In particular, associating workplace injury, auto crashes, or the direct injury or pain the patient experi- ences to the fi rst visit is key. These messages also recognize the effect, on patients’ awareness and decision-making process, by the information they receive from other health authorities, such as medicare, workers compensation, private insurers, even medical doctors. (Remember, health care is not only about chiropractic.) The public messages have been simply and directly produced for television audiences everywhere, whether in the USA or Canada. Examples of these pieces should be viewed at http://www.bcchiro. com/chiroandyou/newsandviews.html or email [email protected] for information. In the past few years, unprecedented partnerships between chi- ropractic and the British Columbia (B.C.) government and Work- SafeBC have evolved. The result of these partnerships has been to produce these television-based public messages promoting injury prevention, both in youth and within the workplace. Also unprec- edented – and undoubtedly increasing public impact – is that each message includes the logo and text of the BC government next to that of the BCCA – effective in youth messaging – and Work- SafeBC and the BCCA – for prevention of workplace injury. The combination of chiropractors, consistent public messages, and key partnerships is contributing to increased utilization. For further information including how you or your group can use these messages, please contact the BCCA at [email protected]. CALL FOR ABSTRACTS Doctors of Chiropractic and others are invited to submit original re- search for presentation at the World Federation of Chiropractic’s and Foundation for Chiro- practic Education and Research’s International Conference on Chiro- practic Research, part of the WFC’s 10th Biennial Conference to be held April 20 - May 2, 2008, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Approximately 100 papers will be given platform (32) and poster (68) presentation. There are awards of up to $10,000 (the Scott Hal- demann Prize) $5,000 and $3,000 dollars for best research papers and $2,000 for best paper from a clinician in private practice. Research awards are generously sponsored by the NCMIC group (National Chiropractic Mutual Insurance Company). Award-winning papers will be published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. (JMPT) The deadline for submitting abstracts is January 15, 2009. For categories of research, submission procedures, and all other information, visit www.wfc.org/congress2009 or contact Robin R. Merrifi eld, ICCR, Coordinator, at [email protected]. 50 • CANADIAN CHIROPRACTOR | SEPTEMBER 2008 www.canadianchiropractor.ca news
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