West Milford Chiropractic and Wellness Patient Office Policy
The purpose of this patient office policy is to allow us to better serve you and to get the best results in the shortest period of time. It is our experience that those who adhere to the following policies get the best results.
Signing In: When you arrive, please sign in at the front desk.
New Injuries: In the event you sustain a new injury, please let the front desk coordinator know as soon as possible. There may be additional paperwork to be filled out.
Appointments: After your visit, please see the front desk coordinator to make or confirm your next appointment.
Payment of Bills: We will expect that you honor all financial agreements made with our office. If you find that you cannot fulfill your financial obligation, notify our office manager immediately so that new arrangements can be made. Our policy is that patients maintain a zero personal balance. Insurance companies are expected to pay their portion within 45 days of claim submission. If they do not, we expect you to call your insurance company and help get the claim paid. If an insurance company sends a check to your home, it should be brought or sent to our office as soon as possible. Please also bring in the attached explanation of benefits.
Rescheduling Appointments: We set up specific treatment schedules for our patients. A certain number of treatments in a set amount of time are required for us to get the results we both desire. If you need to change this time, please reschedule your appointment for another time. If you fail to call and cancel/reschedule your appointment, you will be charged a $25.00 no show fee.
Progress Evaluations & Re-examinations: Progress evaluations & re-examinations will be performed periodically to determine your rate of progress and future course of treatment. There is a fee for all progress evaluations and re-examinations, this is often covered by your insurance company. A special time will be set up for your re-evaluation appointments.
Upsets: We are here to serve you. Please speak with the staff or doctor about anything that could be upsetting you (e.g., long waits, treatment confusion). We see your comments as helping us to help you and others.
Informed Consent to Care
You are the decision maker for your health care. Part of our role is to provide you with information to assist you in making informed choices. This process is often referred to as “informed consent” and involves your understanding and agreement regarding the care we recommend, the benefits and risks associated with the care, alternatives, and the potential effect on your health if you choose not to receive the care.
We may conduct some diagnostic or examination procedures if indicated. Any examinations or tests conducted will be carefully performed but may be uncomfortable.
Chiropractic care centrally involves what is known as a chiropractic adjustment. There may be additional supportive procedures or recommendations as well. When providing an adjustment, we use our hands or an instrument to reposition anatomical structures, such as vertebrae. Potential benefits of an adjustment include restoring normal joint motion, reducing swelling and inflammation in a joint, reducing pain in the joint, and improving neurological functioning and overall well-being.
It is important that you understand, as with all health care approaches, results are not guaranteed, and there is no promise to cure. As with all types of health care interventions, there are some risks to care, including, but not limited to: muscle spasms, aggravating and/or temporary increase in symptoms, lack of improvement of symptoms, burns and/or scarring from electrical stimulation and from hot or cold therapies, including but not limited to hot packs and ice, fractures (broken bones), disc injuries, strokes, dislocations, strains, and sprains. With respect to strokes, there is a rare but serious condition known as an “arterial dissection” that typically is caused by a tear in the inner layer of the artery that may cause the development of a thrombus (clot) with the potential to lead to a stroke. The best available scientific evidence supports the understanding that chiropractic adjustment does not cause a dissection in a normal, healthy artery. Disease processes, genetic disorders, medications, and vessel abnormalities may cause an artery to be more susceptible to dissection. Strokes caused by arterial dissections have been associated with over 72 everyday activities such as sneezing, driving, and playing tennis.
Arterial dissections occur in 3-4 of every 100,000 people whether they are receiving health care or not. Patients who experience this condition often, but not always, present to their medical doctor or chiropractor with neck pain and headache. Unfortunately, a percentage of these patients will experience a stroke.
The reported association between chiropractic visits and stroke is exceedingly rare and is estimated to be related in one in one million to one in two million cervical adjustments. For comparison, the incidence of hospital admission attributed to aspirin use from major GI events of the entire (upper and lower) GI tract was 1219 events/ per one million persons/year and risk of death has been estimated as 104 per one million users.
It is also important that you understand there are treatment options available for your condition other than chiropractic procedures. Likely, you have tried many of these approaches already. These options may include, but are not limited to: self-administered care, over-the-counter pain relievers, physical measures and rest, medical care with prescription drugs, physical therapy, bracing, injections, and surgery. Lastly, you have the right to a second opinion and to secure other opinions about your circumstances and health care as you see fit.