Objective: This paper defines chiropractic necessity and demonstrates a chiropractic evaluation, management, and documentation process, that supports the need for chiropractic care for patients experiencing acute whiplash associated disorders.
Discussion: Whiplash is the most common injury associated with motor vehicle accidents. It is also a common cause of chronic disability. Due to injury of the spinal ligaments and muscles and the resulting spinal joint dysfunction, whiplashed patients benefit from chiropractic services. Chiropractic physicians should gain informed consent to provide both evidence-based and patient-centered care for these injured patients. Evidence-based chiropractic care requires a thorough history of the present illness/injury and a physical examination which identifies the injured tissues and forms a working diagnosis. Chiropractic documentation must demonstrate chiropractic necessity and the patient response to chiropractic care.
Conclusion: It is essential that chiropractic physicians accept the responsibility to treat whiplashed patients and provide evidence-based and patient-centered evaluation and management services supported by accurate and honest documentation.
Author keywords: Chiropractic; Medical Documentation; Whiplash Injury; Cervical Acceleration-Deceleration Injury
This abstract is reproduced with the permission of the publisher. Click on the above link for free full text.
|
