What is the One Thing?
Go to: Previous Article Next Article
According to the renowned Nielsen Organization, as of June 2008 in the US, 72% of the population is using the Internet. In his excellent book, Micro Trends, Mark Penn states that the fastest growing trend in health care is "DIYD" (Do It Yourself Doctors). The last time you needed information, how did you search for it? I contend that patient have well formed opinions about chiropractic care. Their opinions may not be accurate, or necessarily represent the truth. However, they do, in fact, have them whether they voice them initially or not. Let's face it; patients and non-patients use Google nowadays. They also text and collaborate. Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn allow for the concept of six degrees of separation to take on a whole new level, along with speed of connection. News, good and bad, travels fast. Two of the essential components of connecting with patients one day one are:
1. Establishing what their expectations truly are and
2. What they actually know about what you do
Obtaining this information is essential to set the stage for communication going forward. Failure to ascertain expectations and the level and source of their understanding of chiropractic care will impede your ability to connect positively with them and endanger the development of your doctor-patient relationship. Without a solid doctor-patient relationship, you will have poor patient retention. All of the wonderful chiropractic science we can now bring to bear to help our fellow man is, effectively, useless. The question needs to be asked:
What is.the one thing?
You must know the source of the new person who may choose to become your patient. Were they referred? Did they read about you on your website? Perhaps they read an ad, brochure, newsletter or flier? Did they learn about you from a less than direct source, perhaps from multiple acquaintances? Whatever the source of this new person, you must determine the one thing that motivated them to call and schedule. You must focus on this inquiry.
For example, your questions could be posed, "What was the one thing your husband said that convinced you to call and schedule to see me?" or "What was the one thing you saw on my website that motivated you to call and schedule?" " What was the one thing you heard that led you to contact me regarding your problem?"
The decision to phone and schedule is an emotional decision in every case. You must determine what motivated the patient to choose to call. The answer may be as simple as:
"I found you in my insurance book."
Another answer might be:
"My friend told me you were the best doctor she had ever me. If you any could help me, they said you could."
A third example might be:
"When I saw your photo and read about you on your website, you looked and sounded like someone who really cares about her patients."
Regardless of the response, the information obtained is essential to understanding the psyche and motivation of your patient. You simply must know what the patient feels. You must know the emotion that spurred the patient's decision to choose you for care. This approach will allow you to frame your communication with the each new person in a concise way. It will be directed toward what is important to them. This protocol is consistent with essentially all the research on patient satisfaction. In other words, this practice is what patients expect from a thorough and understanding doctor.
Once you have fully fleshed out the answer to the ".what was the one thing?" questions, it is then time for a follow up question. For instance, "What made you choose chiropractic care to try to relieve your type of pain?"
Another variation of this question would be:
"What do you anticipate that chiropractic care can do for you?"
Yet another might be:
"What do you know about what chiropractic care might do for your problem?"
The person may respond, "You are my last resort!" or "I saw a chiropractor in 1978 and he popped my back for me, and it has been great ever since." Still another example might be, "I have a back problem, and you are a back doctor, so I cam here."
If the answers to your follow up questions have a technical slant, it probably means the patient has been researching chiropractic on the Internet. What sites are they looking at? What is the source and extent of their knowledge? You must explore a line of questioning to determine what they are feeling and thinking about this decision to see you for chiropractic care. (To observe what they may be looking at, Google the following searches: Chiropractic, subluxation, chiropractic biophysics, etc. and read the top 5 links of each search.the others are far less important.) You should read and understand the marketplace and what patients are exposed to regarding our profession.
If the potential patient has had chiropractic care in the past, you must fully understand all aspects of their chiropractic experience before moving forward. They have a fully formed expectation and you must know the full extent of their opinion to manage them effectively.
Regardless of the answers to your questions, the information obtained is invaluable. You must ascertain what the patient thinks about their problem and how chiropractic intervention may be able to help them before progressing with your clinical examinations.
When you have fully explored these two questions, you have a reasonable grasp of the expectation and understanding of your new patient. It is a starting point you can build upon. You can begin to define or enhance their level of expectation and understanding as you progress with your history review, examination, radiographs and their presentations of findings. When you know the mind and emotions of each new person, you have the ability to connect with them in a sincere and meaningful way. You may be able to address any misinformation they have found as a "DIYD" on the Internet and, thereby, provide them with the care they initially want. As you build their trust and earn their respect, you will earn their care that they need in the future.
As Chiropractors, we do the best for our patients when the doctor-patient relationship provides care throughout the patient's life. To do so, we must first take simple, common sense steps. Define what patients feel and ascertain the facts they use to substantiate their decision to seek your care. Then, respond accordingly. It is the first critical step to establishing a life-long patient doctor relationship. It also helps humanity by fully utilizing chiropractic care, using the powerful science at our disposal to the fullest extent possible. ChiroPractice Mentoring
Article Source: Articlelogy.com
- Get Fit the healthy way tons of honest tips and tricks to lead a healthier life, also in progress a guide on how to stop smoking -
Word Count: 1165
Reduce Your Debts Without Bankruptcy. See How Much You Can Save. Free Debt Analysis
