Dear Doctor,
One of the most fundamental of all the building blocks of a great practice is
often overlooked – it’s the office visit, the cornerstone of the chiropractor’s
services, the interface between caregiver and customer, the concentrated effort
of the doctor to provide the appropriate intervention to address the needs of
the consumer.
What’s the big mystery, you may be thinking – the patient comes in, you deliver
a very fine adjustment, the patient thanks you, pays and goes home, what more is
there? Yet, the well-crafted, beautifully orchestrated office visit is an art
form, designed to not only offer the best chance for the patient to respond, but
also to set the stage for the entire healing process and beyond.
An office visit is a creative event, and as such, it has to be designed to start
somewhere, go somewhere, and end somewhere. Where does your office visit start,
go and end?
For example, how many of you ask a patient, upon arrival, “How are you feeling?”
It seems innocent enough, a question any concerned individual might ask. But
when the doctor asks it, the patient kicks into symptom mode, feeling compelled
to download every bit of potentially valuable information the doctor night need
to establish a game plan for the day’s care. It gives a clear message – your job
is to reduce symptoms. Why else would you constantly focus on them? And so, the
patient loses twice, being re-associated to their problems, and misled into
thinking that relief is why they come to see you.
Better, why not shape the office visit around the outcomes you prefer? Ask, “Is
there anything I need to know about?” or “What’s better?” or “What improvements
have you noticed?” Questions like these elicit the clinical information you
might need, but redirect the patient’s attention to recovery and wellness, not
treatment for conditions, and prepare your patient to be receptive to your
adjustment.
Then, give a great adjustment! You are responsible to satisfy your clinical
promise, with presence, certainty, gratitude and love. Master your technique,
and remember that sometimes less is more.
Patient education opportunities abound in the office visit – piggyback on
clinical findings to explain more about physiology to give patients a better
appreciation of what you’re doing. Use your ideas and observations to teach them
how to spread the word. And, of course, relate the entire experience to
wellness, and help them comprehend the investment they are making in their own
well-being.
Finally, the climax of the visit is critically important – give the patient a
quick synopsis of what you found and did, what it means, and finish with a
positive message and a goal for next time, so they sense the continuity of your
approach and see the value of keeping their appointments.
The office visit is the basic structural unit of your practice – it will pay off
for you to hone it, sculpt it for optimal benefit to the patient, and use it as
a foundation to refine the art of rendering chiropractic services. You’ll see, a
little attention to detail in this area will make a huge difference in the
quality of your patient’s experience, and ultimately in the success of your
practice.
Dr. Dennis Perman, for The Masters Circle
PS If you want to get to the next level and you could use some help, The Masters
Circle may have the answers you’ve been looking for. Our next seminar, “Master
the Game of Life,” is co-sponsored by Life University, August 14-16 in
Washington DC, and features Guy Riekeman at his best and special guest motivator
Richard Flint -- please call 800-451-4514, or go to
www.themasterscircle.com.
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