Chiropractic Users and Nonusers: Differences in Use, Attitudes, and Willingness to Use Nonmedical Doctors for Primary Care
Received 22 October 2005; received in revised form 14 February 2006; accepted 26 April 2006.
Abstract
Objective
To determine the differences in attitudes and other determinants of care-seeking behavior between persons who have used chiropractic services and persons who have not. A second objective is to determine the interest in members of these 2 groups in choosing nonmedical doctors for providing routine services.
Methods
In 1998, a nationwide telephone survey of randomly selected households in the United States was done, including 400 adults who have used chiropractic services and 400 adults who have not. Survey participants were asked about their use, knowledge, and attitudes about chiropractic care, attitudes about personal role in health care, current source of obtaining usual and routine care, and willingness to consider use of nonmedical doctors as the usual source of such care. The analysis compares persons who have used with those who have not used chiropractic services by using a χ2 test to determine significance of differences between the responses of the 2 groups. A multivariate analysis is done of willingness to use alternative providers for routine care.
Results
Persons who have seen a doctor of chiropractic before have different attitudes and preferences about health and health care than others who have never seen a doctor of chiropractic. Almost all of persons in both groups have medical doctors that they use for routine care, and a sizeable portion of both groups would be willing to consider using a nonmedical doctor for this role. Although willingness to use a chiropractor in this role is much higher among persons who have used a chiropractor before, both groups would prefer physician assistants and nurse practitioners to chiropractors in this role.
Conclusion
For persons participating in this survey, unwillingness to accept the idea of a chiropractor in a primary care role may be largely due to poor knowledge about chiropractic care.
aAssistant Professor, Simmons College, 300 Fenway, Boston, Mass
bResearch Manager, The Lewin Group, 3130 Fairview Park Drive, Suite 800, Falls Church, VA
Submit requests for reprints to: Gary Gaumer, PhD, Simmons College, 300 Fenway, Boston, MA 02115
ABSTRACT