Multidisciplinary heath care is an option for chiropractors who wish to expand their practice by taking advantage of the benefits, such as spreading the chiropractic philosophy to patients who only know about traditional Western medicine. Compare a boutique store to a department store. The traffic and merchandise in a department store is much higher and more varied. Chiropractic Products talked with Daniel H. Dahan, DC, president of Practice Perfect, Long Beach, Calif, a management consultant firm specializing in multidisciplinary practices.

What are the advantages to a multidisciplinary practice?

First, it is a one-stop shop. Patients, the most important asset of your practice, receive the fullest comprehensive care available. The managed care arena is set up to minimize expenses while improving the efficiency of its health care delivery system. In a DC/MD/PT rehab center, the best of all worlds is present for your patients. Your center can bring in as many entities as needed—general medicine, neurology, physiatry, and physical therapy.

Second, a fully accredited medical setting is hardly ever restricted to any insurance limits or prejudice. Also, as a generally accepted established protocol, the medical fee schedule is higher in billing, better in reimbursement, faster in payment, and easier in collections. Operating and/or running a multidiscipline clinic will make you part of the widest and most prevalent health care system, while keeping your philosophy intact.

Because our society has been so ingrained in believing that medicine is the only answer to all health issues, DCs, MDs, and PTs working together will prove that there are many alternative treatments for the same condition.

What legal issues should DCs be aware of when setting up multidisciplinary practices?

Part of the initial set-up will require careful legal and accounting considerations. Adept health care legal professionals should analyze and design a sound structure to minimize your liabilities and maximize your potential. Different states have differing aspects of corporate practice in medicine, so consult with the local applicable regulatory bodies.

What services and support does Practice Perfect offer?

We offer 136 training modules, unlimited support calls, weekly newsletters, monthly updates, quarterly statistical analysis, compliance manual with the zero tolerance policy, teleconferencing, free office forms, a patient charting system, infonet, virtual computerized staff training sections, a monthly calendar and more for a low monthly fee.

How did Practice Perfect begin?

Practice Perfect is the oldest and largest multidisciplinary consulting firm in the nation. I owned and operated one of the most successful clinics in Southern California. My office treated a high volume of patients who required multiple-disciplinary care. To render the most diversified and complete care available, I hired other physicians (ie, neurologists, orthopedic surgeons, internists, and physical therapists) and formed a multidisciplinary health center.

Tell us about Practice Perfect’s commitment to the chiropractic profession.

Practice Perfect has trained thousands of dedicated doctors to become the most accomplished health care providers. The dedicated staff and I are ready, able, and always willing to answer any questions.

What do you see for the future of chiropractic?

I believe that the core problem in health care is that there are no significant entities providing quality care at low prices on a large scale to service the needs of the population. By integrating the skills of the chiropractor and medical physician, we are able to compete aggressively and profitably in both the retail fee-for-service and managed care environments. This in turn makes the patient, the most important asset of any practice, the winner. CP