The Role of Chiropractic Care in the Patient-Centered Medical Home

The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress recently released a white paper entitled "The Role of
Chiropractic Care in the Patient-Centered Medical Home."  The concept of the Medical Home
model of primary care, which was founded in the 1960s by the American Academy of Pediatrics,
has resurfaced as a topic of interest.  This model of primary care aims to provide a family-
centered partnership between a patient, the patient's family, and the primary care team within
a community-based system that provides accessible, uninterrupted, and cost-effective care. A
medical home structure is meant to facilitate efficient integrated/interdisciplinary health care.

The white paper proposes that primary care providers (PCPs) and DCs collaborate efforts to
deliver efficient and effective care for patients, particularly for patients with back pain, neck pain and headaches. It recognizes that care for such patients currently lacks coordination between healthcare disciplines.  The paper argues in favor of chiropractic treatment for neuromuscular and musculoskeletal conditions based on equal or better outcomes with lower costs compared to alternative treatments.  Yet, it fails to address the underlying concept of addressing vertebral subluxation with chiropractic care.  The white paper in effect encourages primary care providers to integrate chiropractic services under the Medical Home model for pain-based treatment only.

F4CP's document was developed by DISCERN, a health care policy consulting firm, with the
guidance of two medical doctors and two chiropractic doctors, along with input from a panel of
Foundation leadership.  

The Foundation for Vertebral Subluxation urges the leadership of this profession to promote the unique contribution that chiropractic has to the health care team.

Click HERE to Read the F4CP White Paper