Chiropractic Register
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Generally Speaking
 
   
A Message from TCA Vice President, Tyce Hergert, DC

The public needs us and wants us and can’t wait to see what we have to offer. However, the public still doesn’t understand the level of education and training that a DC receives. You have to be extraordinary at practice and business. We cannot minimize our doctoral and post-doctoral training; it’s extraordinary. We are doctors of chiropractic. All of us. And, while we may choose different methods, specialties, techniques, styles and payment models, our patients need every one of us. This next legislative session is a "sunset year" for our agency and our profession. The danger is that in the 2017 legislature our profession could see a "perfect storm" or a "perfect disaster." Our profession must awaken as a "sleeping giant." DOWNLOAD VIDEO PRESENTATION HERE
 
 
   
Even the American Medical Association (AMA) has called for a ban of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of prescription drugs and medical devices. "Ultimately, the goal of advertising is to drive choice and demand for a product, not educate," delegate testimony stated.
 
The American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates has determined that medical students, residents, and fellows should have better access to mental healthcare during their medical education. "According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, approximately 300 to 400 physicians die as a result of suicide in the U.S. each year, and the rate of depression among medical students is 15% to 30% higher than the general population."
 
 
   
Representatives from 35 American medical societies, nonprofit groups, and insurance companies convened to discuss ways to collaborate to tackle obesity. Attendees from diabetes, oncology, sleep medicine, and dentistry associations, among others, said that treating obese patients is part of their specialty and agreed that a multidisciplinary approach is required.
 
About one out of every 10 American adults has had a drug use disorder (DUD) at some point in their lives, and most received no treatment for it. When extrapolated to the entire U.S. population, the percentages work out to about 10 million adults who had a 12-month DUD and more than 23 million with lifetime DUDs. The greatest DUDs were for cannabis, opioids, and cocaine; rates were highest for men, younger individuals, lower incomes, and lower education levels (high school or less). Alcohol and nicotine use disorders were also represented. Researchers believe the data shows that DUD is a common and disabling disease that largely went untreated.
 
 
   
The Texas Chiropractic Association is traveling across the state in 2016 ... find out what your state association is doing for you and the chiropractic profession in Texas. At the TCA Tour of Texas, you’ll get important legislative and legal updates, learn about the benefits of TCA membership and network with your fellow DCs in the area. In addition, you’ll be energized by chiropractic icons.
 
 
   
Giving you a first look, TCA News Bytes are random snippets of news. These are just bytes of information to provide you with news one byte at a time.
 
Naylor Association Solutions
ChiroNutraceutical
Calendar of Events
 
   
Feb. 26-28, 2016, Lubbock, TX, Overton Hotel & Conference Center
Earn 16 CE hours and network with your fellow DCs in the Panhandle’s premier chiropractic and wellness conference. Among the confirmed speakers is nationally renowned chiropractic radiologist Terry Yochum, DC, DACBR, Fellow, ACCR. Click here to register today!
 
 
   
Dec 19-20:  Personal Injury; Dallas, TX


Jan 7-8:  ICD10 Diagnosis Coding; Bedford, TX

Jan 9-10:  ICD10 Diagnosis Coding; Lubbock, TX

Jan 11-12: TCA Tour of Texas; Dallas, TX



Jan 22-23: Personal Injury; Houston, TX

Jan 23-24: Dr. Jay Morgan Seminar Series; Austin, TX

Jan 29-30: Personal Injury; Irving, TX
 
Naylor Association Solutions
Chiropractic News
Recent VA data cite "diseases of musculoskeletal system/connective system," such as back pain, as the number one ailment of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans accessing VA treatment. In recent years, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has started the process of providing veterans with access to chiropractic care. Unfortunately, an overwhelming majority of America’s veterans still do not have access to chiropractic care because the VA has taken no action to provide chiropractic care at more than 100 of its major medical facilities. This ACA report provides details of what non-VA providers should expect.
 
 
   
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and chiropractic often offer lower costs for comparable results compared to conventional medicine. Recent research on the popularity and perceived effectiveness of CAM and integrative medicine for the treatment of both neck and low back pain indicates that the public uses these forms of care in larger proportions than they do conventional medical care. Studies looking at chiropractic utilization demonstrate that a range from around 6% to 12% of the population seek chiropractic care for low back pain rather than for organic disease or visceral dysfunction.
 
The purpose of this study was to determine whether general perceptions of doctors of chiropractic (DCs) varied according to likeliness to use chiropractic care, whether particular demographic characteristics were associated with chiropractic care use, and whether perception of DCs varied according to the per-capita supply of DCs in local health care markets. The study concluded that US adults often use chiropractic care, generally regard DCs favorably, and largely perceive that chiropractic care is safe. Most (61.4%) respondents believed that chiropractic care was effective at treating neck and back pain, 52.6% thought DCs were trustworthy, and only 24.2% thought chiropractic care was dangerous.
 
The AMA urges the federal government to block two huge mergers because they may radically decrease competition and increase healthcare costs. AMA Immediate-Past Chair Barbara A. McAneny, MD, said "providing patients with more choices for health care services and coverage stimulates innovation and incentivizes improved care, lower costs and expanded access." The AMA sent a letter to the U.S. Assistant Attorney General emphasizing that "fostering competition, not consolidation, benefits American consumers through lower prices, better quality and greater choice."

 
Public Health and Safety
"Industry funded CME always sells the disease. In some cases, those diseases are invented." An associate professor of family medicine at Georgetown University called hypoactive sexual desire disorder an "invented" condition that was designed to sell drugs, and a typical example of "the medicalization of a normal state... The commercial practice of creating or expanding the market for a drug by convincing physicians and other prescribers that an 'unmet need' exists relies on industry-funded CME."
 
Business Development
 
   
Many physicians have discovered the value of social media. Over 70 percent use social media more than once a month. All healthcare professionals, should understand the risks of using social media improperly and should follow the three steps in this article.
 
Legislative & Legal Updates
The Senate has passed the "Restoring America’s Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act" or less formally the "Obamacare repeal bill," by a 52-47 vote. The new bill would dismantle the individual health insurance mandate, as well as the employer mandate.
 
 
   
ACA officially launched a national grassroots campaign designed to achieve full physician status for doctors of chiropractic in Medicare to be reimbursed for all necessary services that fall within individual state scopes of practice. The National Medicare Equality Petition’s success will depend on your participation - and your ability to reach out to your patients, supporters, and colleagues to marshal the widespread support needed to sustain the intense grassroots lobbying that will pressure Congress into taking action.
 
From the Insurance Industry
Health insurers beat down physicians in contract negotiations with fuzzy numbers, run-arounds, and other ruses associated with used-car lots. "When I worked on the payer side, we used to joke all the time that negotiating with physicians was like negotiating with somebody who brings a knife to a gunfight." It is more important than ever for medical practices to forge good deals with private insurers. The cost-cutting imperative of healthcare reform is making these companies more aggressive and they try to reduce reimbursement.
 
Clinical & Research
 
   
An individual’s risk for melanoma can be quickly and simply assessed in primary care by counting the number of nevi on one arm, suggests a group of Italian and United Kingdom researchers. The researchers demonstrated that a nevus arm count of more than 11 is associated with a significant risk of having more than 100 nevi. This fast clinical evaluation should be used for a quick estimation of melanoma risk in general practices.
 
 

 

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