Remote visits will allow chiropractors to educate and reassure patients while reducing unnecessary exposure
Plymouth, MN (April 8, 2020) — Fulcrum Health announced today that it has teamed up with health plan clients to deliver chiropractic telehealth services for their members. This innovative approach is designed to support chiropractors in their efforts to safely and effectively use technology to deliver virtual care to patients and reduce potential exposure to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), while helping them manage their overall health and well-being during mandated stay-at-home orders, shutdowns, and access restrictions.
Chiropractic care is a hands-on business, but with social distancing and mandated shutdowns due to COVID-19, providers are experiencing a significant reduction in the number of patients seeking care, potentially exacerbating existing health problems.
Telehealth services enable chiropractors to provide continued care for patients who are suffering from musculoskeletal conditions and back pain and evaluate and provide consistent care recommendations which include activities to complete at home, along with exercise instruction when appropriate.
“Chiropractic care is essential for many people, and while some may be able to forego treatment until the risks of in-person visits have abated, others could end up in already overtaxed emergency rooms due to unmanageable pain if they are not able to receive care,” said Patricia Dennis, CEO, Fulcrum Health. “During this challenging time, effective telehealth is essential to ensure ongoing connection between care providers and patients suffering from musculoskeletal conditions and pain, while avoiding unnecessary COVID-19 exposure. Our goal is to make it easy and safe for our highly qualified network of chiropractic providers to evaluate patients and provide direction for steps they can take to manage existing issues and support ongoing mental and physical health.”
The chiropractic telehealth program will enable providers to support health plan members by:
- Consulting with the member about their current condition and potential treatment needs;
- Reducing the risk of COVID-19 exposure associated with in-person visits;
- Educating and reassuring patients who are experiencing severe pain and offering appropriate at-home care advice on tactics like the proper use of hot or cold therapies and stretching;
- Providing active care instructions for achieving personal health goals, such as demonstrating exercises that can be done at home to manage low-back pain without narcotics; and
- Offering home instruction on daily living activities, such as how to achieve an ergonomically safe remote work environment or how to modify activities to reduce pain or injury.
Fulcrum, which operates a network of 2,900 credentialed chiropractors serving more than 1.9 million patients across the Midwest, estimates that 25% of patients will initiate a telehealth visit with their provider during COVID-19 shutdowns. The potential exists to reach even more consumers with these beneficial services, which makes the telehealth program essential, added Dennis.
To learn more about Fulcrum Health, visit https://www.fulcrumhealthinc.org/.
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About Fulcrum Health
Fulcrum Health, Inc. is a nonprofit, NCQA-accredited (National Committee for Quality Assurance), physical medicine management organization delivering quality care through its credentialed chiropractic providers for over 35 years. Its product offerings include chiropractic, acupuncture, massage therapy, and pain management services. Serving 1.9 million members in the Midwest, Fulcrum continues to offer innovative and inspiring ways to leverage physical medicine that help lower health care costs, achieve better outcomes, and increase patient satisfaction. Fulcrum Health is a four-time recipient of the Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award for outstanding performance in patient satisfaction. For more information, visit fulcrumhealthinc.org. Follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook.
Media contact: Barbara Tabor, APR / (651) 230-9192 / [email protected]
