Page Stacey A
Office of Medical Bioethics, RM 93, HMRB, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, Canada.
J Can Chiropr Assoc. 2007 Jun;51(2):91-8.
Chiropractic's success as a health care profession is evidenced in part by the rising number of practitioners. Paradoxically, this success may start to cost the profession, as the number of consumers may not be increasing proportionally. Fewer patients mean less income for practitioners. Some chiropractors are responding to these pressures by marketing health products, and services.
To describe the extent to which Alberta chiropractors with websites sold health products and the extent to which fee discounts/service inducements were advertised. To consider these practices in the context of chiropractic codes of conduct and ethics.
Chiropractic websites in the province of Alberta were identified using the online Telus Business Finder and cross-referenced with the Yellow Pages print directories. The websites were searched and an inventory of the health products for sale was recorded. Fee discounts and service inducements were also recorded.
56 websites were identified and reviewed. Just under two-thirds of the chiropractic websites surveyed contained information on health products for sale. Orthotics were sold most often (N = 29 practices; 51.8%), followed by pillows and supports (N = 15: 26.8%), vitamins/nutritional supplements (N = 15; 26.8%) and exercise/rehabilitation products (N = 10; 17.9%). Nine practices (16.1%) offered some type of inducement to potential customers. These included discounts on treatment packages (N = 2; 3.6%), free gait/ posture analyses (N = 2; 3.6%) and free general consultations with the chiropractors (N = 3; 5.4%)
The marketing of health care products and services by chiropractors in Alberta is common. Such practices raise ethical considerations for the profession. Professional guidelines vary on the acceptability of these practices. Consumer and practitioner perspectives and practices regarding retailing need to be further examined.
整脊疗法作为一种医疗保健行业取得的成功，部分体现在从业者数量的不断增加。矛盾的是，这种成功可能开始给该行业带来代价，因为消费者数量可能没有成比例地增加。患者减少意味着从业者收入降低。一些整脊治疗师通过推销健康产品和服务来应对这些压力。
描述拥有网站的艾伯塔省整脊治疗师销售健康产品的程度以及宣传费用折扣/服务诱因的程度。在整脊疗法的行为准则和道德规范背景下考虑这些做法。
使用在线的Telus商业查找器识别艾伯塔省的整脊疗法网站，并与黄页印刷目录进行交叉核对。对网站进行搜索并记录待售健康产品清单。还记录了费用折扣和服务诱因。
识别并审查了56个网站。接受调查的整脊疗法网站中，略低于三分之二包含待售健康产品的信息。矫形器销售最为常见（29家诊所；51.8%），其次是枕头和支撑物（15家；26.8%）、维生素/营养补充剂（15家；26.8%）以及运动/康复产品（10家；17.9%）。9家诊所（16.1%）向潜在客户提供了某种类型的诱因。这些包括治疗套餐折扣（2家；3.6%）、免费步态/姿势分析（2家；3.6%）以及与整脊治疗师的免费一般咨询（3家；5.4%）。
艾伯塔省的整脊治疗师推销医疗保健产品和服务的情况很常见。此类做法引发了该行业的道德考量。专业指南对于这些做法的可接受性存在不同规定。需要进一步研究消费者和从业者在零售方面的观点及做法。
