Northwestern Health Sciences University president talks with ‘Minnesota Healthcare News’

May 29, 2011 — The May 2011 issue of Minnesota Healthcare News features a two-page Q&A with Mark Zeigler, DC, president of Northwestern Health Sciences University.

In the article, Zeigler fields questions about chiropractors, what conditions chiropractic care, how chiropractic care fits into today’s health delivery system and more. Here is an excerpt:

How is chiropractic care becoming more integrated into traditional medical practice? The shift in today’s health care environment is toward integration. It requires all providers to look at how to practice smarter in a care delivery system that is different from the past. We need to have shared decision-making and look at patient preferences and the best evidence. That requires an integrated approach to addressing patient problems. I think traditional medicine is taking a step back. Medicine today is a broken system. That’s why at the federal level they’re taking an entire new look at the system. I think medicine is shifting more to our point of view: How can we encourage patients to make better choices in their health care and lifestyles? How do we address cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, musculoskeletal problems? They’re an incredible economic drain on our society, and it requires us to take a different look at how we approach health care, collectively.

What are the barriers to access to chiropractic care? In today’s marketplace, the insurance industry creates a major barrier. In most cases, you’ll see all major insurers cover chiropractic care. But it’s how they cover it – with higher copays. Another barrier is lack of good information. I think it’s important for us in the health care environment to be clear about what is efficient and effective in providing the best care possible for different conditions – good information consumers can draw on to make decisions about their health. And to a certain extent, public policy. We’re starting to make inroads into the Department of Defense, into the Veterans Administration, expanding Medicare coverage, but it’s been a long journey.

View the entire article online at Minnesota Healthcare News.

Source: Northwestern Health Sciences University, www.nwhealth.edu/nwtoday/index.html