Collaborative care

What is collaborative care?

Collaborative care is the collaborative working of health care professionals to ensure patients receive optimal, timely and effective care from the appropriate professional.

The best evidence, including Alberta’s own Toward Optimized Performance clinical practice guidelines on low back pain supports collaboration and interdisciplinary referral, including chiropractic care.

A patient-centered approach

We support patient-centred care. According to Alberta Health, “enhanced collaboration amongst health care providers, individuals, families, caregivers, and the community is an approach which positively impacts service quality and safety, and improves overall health outcomes.”

A chiropractor’s primary focus is on improving their patients’ health. The best way to achieve this is through collaboration with medical doctors, physiotherapists and other members that make up a patient’s health-care team. Chiropractors are committed to developing and fostering awareness, education and professional relationships in support of a strong multi-disciplinary, patient-centered approach to health-care delivery in Alberta.

Referrals to a chiropractor

Referrals are not needed to see a chiropractor and treatment is covered by most extended health plans, making chiropractic treatment  accessible for most Albertans. For more information on coverage visit: Chiropractic Insurance Coverage. Chiropractors can refer to all medical specialists, including: orthopedics, neurology, rheumatology, psychiatrists, and obstetricians.

Multidisciplinary clinics 

Some chiropractors practice in stand-alone clinics where interdisciplinary referrals are made as needed to other health care practitioners in their community. Other chiropractors work in multidisciplinary settings where patient care is team-based. In either practice setting, chiropractors value the collaboration of all health disciplines in the support of best patient care.