Practice patterns of 692 Ontario chiropractors (2000-2001)

This study examined a wide range of variables relating to the practice patterns of 692 Ontario chiropractors (approximately 30% of all registrants in the province) who subscribed to the Ontario Chiropractic Association's Patient Management Program. It analyzed the 2000-2001 data of these chiropractors and provided important information on such factors as practitioner and patient demographics, practice profiles, and reimbursement patterns.The mean number of chiropractic treatments per patient for the year was 8.6 (sd = 3.4) and the mean treatment fee (above OHIP) per patient visit was $17.60 (sd = 5.0). Nearly one third of patient treatments were for lumbar complaints, and more than one-third of the patients were between 35 and 50 years of age.The mean annual gross income of the chiropractors in this study was $148,824 (sd = $86,391), with the male practitioners having a statistically significantly higher mean income ($161,363) than their female counterparts ($108,126). Practice location was significantly related to income, with postal code 'M' (Toronto) having the lowest mean income level. The overwhelming majority of practitioners (85%) used Diversified Technique as their primary treatment procedure, while 'modalities' was the most commonly selected adjunctive treatment procedure (29%).This study sheds new light on the associations among such factors as practitioner gender, practice location, and level of income.