August 2003

Did you get caught in a lie -- again?

by Dr. Kevin Pallis and Dr. Ed Plentz

Did you know that every one of your patients has been lied to? That's right, they have. "We got it all", "you're cured", "you will never amount to anything," "he/she isn't right for you."

So many times earlier in life authority figures have either outright lied or shaded the truth for purposes of commercial gain or power. Even years after the "empty words and broken promises," the taste still sours the mouth. Doctors, lawyers, teachers, lovers, politicians, and religious figures among others, lead the way.

The general public, and especially females (who by and large make family health decisions), has a detached sense of trust when it comes to doctors. While they want to believe and trust again, they feel like guinea pigs in a lab experiment.

Instead of treasuring new patients by having communication and office procedures installed that establish long term relationships, many D.C.s see a new patient as an inconsequential plaything to be used up and replaced.

Your PVA (patient visit average) is the measure of your communication and emotional attachment to your patients. This is why the patient visit average is so low in many chiropractic offices. Patients typically consult a D.C. only after many failed experiences in traditional medical offices. Did you ever wonder why you were always the last doctor consulted? Well, perhaps you should take a look at your case histories.     

When a typical patient enters a chiropractic office, many D.C.s first look to see how much insurance coverage he or she has. They then "tailor" a program of care to fit the coverage rather than the patient's needs. In our society this is called selling or marketing, and is a highly accepted form of doing business.

Much akin to the usage of steroids for muscle building, it's an illusion. Society knows that the great majority of athletes who are 300 pounds and run a 4.5 forty are on steroids, however, it's the norm so it's okay. Yes, steroids work most assuredly in the short term, but then they actually contribute to taking the life of the user.

Most D.C.s, like steroid users, are near‑sighted and concentrate only on the front end of a doctor‑patient relationship.

And care is so often tailored to insurance coverage that now many patients will not even consult a D.C. unless there is a third party to cover the expenses. What a shame!

Think of the lifetime value of a patient. Think of the referral potential of an excited long‑term patient. More importantly, think of the impact of another healthy human being on society.

As a profession, we have to stop providing short‑term therapy only. We are offering short‑term solutions only to create long‑term problems.

What would happen if you were to communicate to your patients the seriousness of the VSC and the resultant subluxation degeneration? What if you were to communicate to your patients who you are and what you stand for? You would afford your patients the opportunity to make a decision that fits the health care needs of their family.

D.C.s who don't have office procedures and a philosophy that reflects this communication have to substitute selling instead of telling. The consequence of this behavior is lowered PVA and referral activity.

In the eyes of the very health conscious American public, another letdown. They say chiropractors talk a good game, but when it gets right down to it you are just like every other doctor; you create short‑term relationships in a crisis setting, with a definite financial outcome at stake.

Enter the D.C. who has communication technologies in all of his or her procedures, office education, and daily interaction with patients. Patients get to see your real intent through communication and then make known to you through their actions whether or not they are going in your direction.

No trying to change patients, no desperation or burnout. Even people who don't want family wellness care for a lifetime complete their initial care recommendations instead of dropping out when the symptoms or insurance dry up.

Patients with whom you've established an emotional relationship value your service and become family. You're not someone they have to go to, but someone they look forward to visiting over and over. Time, distance, schedules, and money problems have a way of vanishing when your patient‑doctor relationship is communication based. Patients are proud of you, your office, and chiropractic.

Start communicating to your patients, and the truth shall set you free!

(The New Renaissance -- the next generation of office procedure, chiropractic mindset for success, and patient education for today's chiropractor -- is a complete system of practice based on science and philosophy working on the doctor from inside out. To learn more about The New Renaissance, and the Mentor IV Practice Development Program that takes 24 years of the pioneering experience of Renaissance procedures and combines it with the practical daily activities of doctors in the field, contact Dr. Kevin Pallis at 781/255-7080, Dr. Ed Plentz at 517/592-8208, or the New Renaissance world headquarters 800/525-3879.)