A multidisciplinary chiropractic office of diversely qualified healthcare professionals, all operating under one roof, is a win-win for patients and practice owners. According to Dr. Mark Sanna, CEO of Breakthrough Coaching, “Many healthcare providers have begun to recognize the potential benefits—in patient care and practice growth—that can be obtained when DCs, MDs, DOs, and PTs work together. By working together, all participants add valuable expertise to their practices, resulting in improved patient care, convenience, and better patient service.”
Multidisciplinary Surmounts Several Obstacles of Continuity Care
The chain of continuity care can lead to an unhappy patient experience. Referring your patients to one or more outside providers means placing them beyond your supervision and losing control of critical factors, such as standard of care and the patient’s security. It’s essentially a leap of faith that the next office will be as caring and compliant as you are.
Fonning an in-house, multidisciplinary team allows chiropractic offices to keep their patients on the same premises and in the hands of trusted colleagues for the duration. No need to force them to develop new relationships and trust with external practices and no loss of control for your office over things such as diagnosis, treatment, or the safe handling of PHI and PII.
Multidisciplinary Reduces the Burden of Patient Expenses
Assuming continuity of care stops the need for patients to make their way to other offices, immediately benefiting their travel budgets. Receiving care at a single location also makes it easier to schedule and keep appointments since patients know the area, travel time to and from, etc.
The issue of blind faith comes into play again here. You know that every member of your team will perfonn only those tests and treatments strictly necessary to help your patients. There’s no guarantee that other clinics won’t exploit your patients after you refer them, leading to increased and unnecessary medical bills.
Multidisciplinary Can Increase Your Revenue
An estimated 35 million people seek chiropractic care every year, according to data highlighted by the American Chiropractic Association. That sounds as if there’s plenty of work to go around.
However, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts faster than average growth for the chiropractic sector over the next eight years, meaning more practitioners will be vying for the “traditional” patient. Offices with a diverse range of services stand a greater chance of attracting prospects seeking more than the usual kinds of treatment. All of the above can make a positive difference to chiropractors and their patients, but only if establishing a multidisciplinary practice is carefully considered. That means getting real about the downsides and taking proactive steps to avoid them.
The Risks of a Multidisciplinary Chiropractic Office
Compliance and legal matters are the most potentially damaging factors in this model. A single-disciplinary office is under enough pressure to stay informed about shifting practice codes and adhere to evolving industry regulations. The very nature of how a multidisciplinary office is set up can vary significantly depending on the state in which you operate.
Legal and compliance stress increases as other disciplines become part of the framework, making it harder to stay current and avoid ever-escalating penalties, civil fines, and defense costs. It’s vital for multidisciplinary offices to work together with compliance professionals who can help them follow the rules for documentation, training, audits, and more, with a minimum of fuss.
The degree of involvement for outside compliance teams can vary from a second pair of eyes to a complete outsourcing of the required tasks. One thing that’s constant is the more your office has going on, the greater the chances of a compliance issue.
A Clash of Professional Opinions
Getting multiple disciplinary providers to agree on the best overall treatment for a patient isn’t easy. Several experts in various fields may have different viewpoints on the next step to take and what should be done long tenn.
The likelihood of such clashes is reduced the more similar each practitioner’s role is to those of their colleagues. It’s a potential risk that the more diverse your office is, the greater the chances that a shared vision will become difficult to maintain. Every practitioner must be a team player who can operate without ego, respect their colleagues’ expertise, and disengage as necessary. No easy feat!
Diverse Disciplines Require Strict Schedules and Patience
Every member of a multidisciplinary team needs to stay informed on what everyone else is doing. That requires consistent, high-quality communication. Meetings must be frequent, some of which may take a lot of time out of everyone’s schedule, depending on the complexity of treatments and the patient load of the practice.
Each practitioner’s area of expertise has its own timeframe for completion. Some of these will be quicker than others. All team members must be understanding and patient until it’s their turn to get involved. Otherwise, impatience can lead to frustration and conflict.
There are pros and cons to any practice decision. A clear vision and mission for your business will help you stay the course as you navigate your expanding practice, outline the operating structure, and detennine the direction for integration. Getting transitioned to a multidisciplinary model can be difficult without the right help. Retaining the services of an attorney and practice management consultant who are familiar with your state’s rules and regulations will make it easier and more compliant. Change is difficult, but if your desire is a multidisciplinary practice that results in improved outcomes for the patients you serve in your community, it’s worth it.
Dr. Ray Foxworth is a certified medical compliance specialist and president of ChiroHealthUSA. A practicing chiropractor, he remains "in the trenches," facing challenges with billing, coding, documentation, and compliance. He has served as president of the Mississippi Chiropractic Association and is a fellow of the International College of Chiropractic. To request a free one-page financial policy, email [email protected].
