What Americans Really Think of Chiropractic:
INTERVIEW
Highlights from the Gallup-Palmer College of Chiropractic’s Annual Report: Americans’ Perceptions of Chiropractic
The American Chiropractor
Cynthia English, a senior research consultant at Gallup, specializes in research design and analytics. Cynthia has nine years of international survey research experience and leads research design for hundreds of quantitative and qualitative research studies annually.
Dennis Marchiori, DC, PhD, became chancellor of Palmer College of Chiropractic in December 2009. He earned his doctor of chiropractic degree from Palmer in 1990, followed by an MS degree in anatomy from Palmer in 1992, a dipt'ornate of the American Chiropractic Board of Radiology in 1995, and a PhD in policy, planning, and leadership from the University of Iowa in 2005.
In an interview with The American Chiropractor (TAC), Dr. Dennis Marchiori (DM) and Cynthia English (CE), explain the results on how, why, and what came out of the research they conducted. This is an in depth look at how the public perceives the chiropractic profession.
TAC: Can you tell me more about how the research is conducted?
CE: Since 2015, Gallup and Palmer College of Chiropractic have released an annual report on Americans’ perceptions of chiropractic. The reports are based on nationally representative surveys of more than 5,000 US adults, age 18 and older. In 2016, more than 7,600 adults participated in the study.
^The Gallup-Palmer project is the first time the chiropractic profession has gone directly to the American public on an annual basis to assess public perceptions of chiropractic care in a nationally representative survey. 5 J
TAC: Why did Palmer decide to lead this research effort?
DM: In the simplest terms, Palmer feels passionately that chiropractic care is underutilized. We believe more people can benefit horn care than are currently under care or aware of the benefits of care. Palmer initiated this survey project to better understand public perceptions about chiropractic care and chiropractors. We hope to explore, discover, and remove access and cultural barriers to care.
The Gallup-Palmer project is the first time the chiropractic profession has gone directly to the American public on an annual basis to assess public perceptions of chiropractic care in a nationally representative survey. As a profession, we need to find out why only about 15% of the adult population in the US sees a chiropractor each year, when we know the prevalence of health issues we successfully address is higher than this utilization.
Our work in this area started before the annual GallupPalmer surveys. The surveys grew from Palmer College’s ongoing commitment over the past five years to study and advance the profession’s identity and the public’s understanding of chiropractic care.
We just completed field work on our Year 3 survey and plan to release the results later this year. We plan to do additional studies beyond year three.
TAC: What are some of the most interesting findings from the research?
CE: As someone who is outside of the chiropractic profession, two things strike me most about the data:
1. In the first-year study, we learned when people understand the education required to become a chiropractor, they are much less likely to say chiropractic care is dangerous. This suggests that educating the public about the rigor of chiropractic training could help individuals place greater trust in the profession.
The challenge for the profession, however, is that only 15% of adults in the US know that chiropractors need more than six years of education after high school.
2. Once adults are exposed to chiropractic care, they are overwhelmingly positive about the experience. Only 3% of people who saw a chiropractor in the last year say they are unlikely to go back.
“ Three out of four adults in the US describe chiropractic care as either 'very safe' or 'somewhat safe.'JJ
TAC: How many Americans go to the chiropractor in the US?
DM: According to this year’s Gallup-Palmer College of Chiropractic report, 35.5 million US adults went to a chiropractor in the last 12 months, and an estimated 62 million overall in the last five years. That represents about 15% and 26% of adults in the US, respectively. These values are consistent over both years of the survey and are higher than previous estimates.
TAC: Do Americans think chiropractic care is effective?
DM: Many Americans surveyed reported dealing with significant neck or back pain, and the majority of chiropractic patients described chiropractic care as very effective and a good value.
Specifically, three in four of the 35.5 million US adults who went to a chiropractor in the last 12 months described chiropractic care as “very effective” (77%). Another 18% describe it as “somewhat effective,” and 5% say it is “not very effective.”
■ " Patients are much more likely to recommend chiropractic care to their friends and family when chiropractors show they care and take time to educate them about the treatment options available.
It is important to note that, given the limitations of effective survey length, we made the decision to focus on spine care in the first few years of surveys. Over time, we look forward to investigating public perception on other benefits of chiropractic care.
TAC: Do Americans think chiropractic care is safe?
DM: Yes. Three out of four adults in the US describe chiropractic care as either “very safe” or “somewhat safe.” Thirty -
three percent of adults in the US perceived chiropractic care as very safe, compared to 23% for over-the-counter pain medications, 12% for prescription pain medication, and 6% for back surgery. Physical therapy methods topped the perceived safety list, with 68% saying it’s very safe.
TAC: How is chiropractic viewed when compared to other alternatives for back/neck pain?
CE: Americans are more likely to say chiropractic care is very safe and very effective than to say this about back surgery, self-care, or pain medication. Americans are more likely to describe physical therapy as very safe and very effective than any of these treatment options.
TAC: Are chiropractic patients generally positive about their experiences?
DM: Adults who saw a chiropractor in the last five years are generally very positive about their experience. Approximately eight in 10 chiropractic patients agree that:
• The chiropractor took time to educate them about treatment options.
• The chiropractor really cares about them.
• They recommend chiropractic care to family members or friends.
Patients are much more likely to recommend chiropractic care to their friends and family when chiropractors show they care and take time to educate them about the treatment options available.
TAC: How many chiropractic users report negative experiences?
DM: There were two negative issues raised by those who saw a chiropractor in the last five years: Almost one in four said they often experience pressure to have more appointments than wanted, and fewer than one in five (17%) say they often experience pressure to get more services than they want.
Additionally, the main reasons some adult Americans say they are unlikely to see a chiropractor are, “I have another healthcare provider I would go to,” and, “I don’t trust chiropractors.”
TAC: Do most chiropractic patients view chiropractic care as a good value for the money?
DM: Yes. Eighty-eight percent of recent chiropractic patients agree the quality of care they received was a good value for the money.
TAC: What can chiropractors do with this information?
DM: We hope chiropractors will use
this information to educate their patients in specific ways that address possible barriers to care, such as safety, efficacy, and the extensive education chiropractors receive.
At Palmer, we’ve created a number of free, downloadable patient-education charts that address these issues and more. Just go to www.palmer.edu/gallup-report and download these helpful charts. Print them out in color and put them up in your exam rooms. Then take the opportunity to talk to your patients about these issues and answer any questions they may have.
TAC: What are the plans for the future?
DM: The third annual study will be completed in spring 2017 and released in the fall of 2017. We plan to continue to do the survey beyond year three.
TAC: Our sincere thanks to Dr. Dennis Marchiori and Cynthia English. You may contact them at: Palmer College of Chiropractic, 1000 Brady St., Davenport, IA 52803. EZ9
