One important question, however, will be the subject of debate and discussion for the next century. The funding of such research should, however, be a high public policy priority. Traditional, entrenched interests have, in the case of chiropractic, argued against the inclusion of chiropractic care in public health programs because of insufficient research data. At the same time, for anti-competitive reasons, those same interests lobbied aggressively to prevent public funding for chiropractic research. Other sciences and health procedures should have the benefit of objective, timely and publicly funded research to explore their full potential and to identify their limitations.
Every consumer is entitled to full and honest information about any new health procedure.
Clarity and accuracy in describing new technologies and health procedures is essential for the protection of the public and the honest evaluation of such procedures in the outcomes process. Public guidelines regarding disclosure and the making of health care effectiveness claims should be a high priority, especially in cases where practitioners of emerging procedures may not be certified or licensed in the civil regulatory process. Public information agencies at the federal and state level should be mobilized to serve as responsible, objective information resources for consumers of health care choices. The utilization of the Internet and other public health information and outreach systems for purposes of informing citizens on new health research findings, choices and concerns would certainly be in the best interests of all parties, provider and consumer alike. Standard trial and pilot study procedures should be developed to study and, if results are positive, integrate new technologies and procedures into federal health care programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, Federal Employee Health Benefits Programs, veterans care and other health care funding and delivery programs.