The Association des chiropraticiens du Québec is directly challenged by the tabling of Bill 15, An Act to make the health and social services system more efficient, and we wish to make our contribution to this fundamental debate for the future of health and social services network by participating in public consultations and hearings as part of the upcoming parliamentary committee.
Holders of an undergraduate university doctorate, chiropractors are competent and efficient health professionals and wish to be better integrated into the trajectory of care for users. It is important to remember that neuromusculoskeletal problems concern a large number of consultations in emergency departments. However, thanks to their expertise in neuromusculoskeletal health, chiropractors can help relieve congestion in the health network and improve services to the population.
Indeed, our contribution would be useful to improve the care trajectories of patients suffering from neuromusculoskeletal disorders, by promoting appropriate and rapid access to adequate health services. Chiropractors can effectively participate in the triage, evaluation and treatment of patients for better monitoring of neuromusculoskeletal conditions that affect Quebecers. This could result in faster consultations and fewer unnecessary referrals to specialists.
We are inspired by the Musculoskeletal Clinic (MSK) pilot projects in Ontario, among other things: these rapid access clinics help people who suffer from neuromusculoskeletal disorders to quickly access chiropractic care. For example, it may be direct access to chiropractic care for victims of work accidents.
Also, the consultation delay increases the risk of delaying the return to work and normal life, not to mention the economic impact that the status quo would imply.
We are pleased to see a potential opening of the State to a better recognition of the contribution of chiropractic care in the network. We emphasize the importance of the planned decentralization of health and social services responsibilities, which will certainly allow greater autonomy for the various professionals.
We welcome interdisciplinarity and the decompartmentalization of health professions – two concepts dear to the Minister of Health, Mr. Christian Dubé. Indeed, the solutions we are proposing are in perfect harmony with the objectives of the Plan to implement the necessary changes in health, the first anniversary of which we recently celebrated. For all these reasons, chiropractors are seeking a place on Minister Dubé’s guest list in the parliamentary committee. Chiropractors want to help relieve the health and social services network, in a spirit of interprofessional collaboration and in the interest of all users.