An Evaluation of Medical and Chiropractic Provider Utilization and Costs: Treating Injured Workers in North Carolina

Received 12 February 2003; received in revised form 8 May 2003

Abstract

Objective

To examine utilization, treatment costs, lost workdays, and compensation paid workers with musculoskeletal injuries treated by medical doctors (MDs) and doctors of chiropractic (DCs).

Design

Retrospective review of 96,627 claims between 1975 and 1994.

Results

Average cost of treatment, hospitalization, and compensation payments were higher for patients treated by MDs than for patients treated by DCs. Average number of lost workdays for patients treated by MDs was higher than for those treated by DCs. Combined care patients generated higher costs than patients treated by MDs or DCs alone.

Conclusion

These data, with the acknowledged limitations of an insurance database, indicate lower treatment costs, less workdays lost, lower compensation payments, and lower utilization of ancillary medical services for patients treated by DCs. Despite the lower cost of chiropractic management, the use of chiropractic services in North Carolina appears very low.

a Private practice of chiropractic, Wake Forest, NC

b Private practice of chiropractic, Cary, NC

c Private practice of chiropractic, Fuquay-Varina, NC

d Associate Professor, Southern California University of Health Sciences, and Private practice of chiropractic, Pasadena, Calif

e Private practice of chiropractic, Los Angeles, Calif

Shawn Phelan, DC, 123 South White Street, Wake Forest, NC 27587

This work was funded by a grant from the North Carolina Board of Chiropractic Examiners.

PII: S0161-4754(04)00127-7

doi:10.1016/j.jmpt.2004.06.002

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