February 2006

How can we save lives?

by Dr. Robert Schiffman

When I spoke with some DCs a few weeks ago and asked them why they had wanted to become a chiropractor, they told me that they wanted to make a difference in the lives of others, and primarily save lives.

In touching the lives of other people we must first have a plan. The most important thing that a chiropractic office can do to make that difference is to educate, educate, educate. Education is the first tool that you must use to help your staff, patients and everyone else. It's your obligation to do this in the office. When you educate your staff, they'll take this knowledge and, in turn, educate patients and others.

This tool should be used by your staff members daily. Your CA should be able to educate patients with concise information and feel accomplished in educating them, the way you feel when you teach your staff. Your CA is a reflection of you and your office. It's very important and even critical that your chiropractic assistant be able to provide on‑going education to your patients.

Today, employee training on a regular basis has become an imperative requirement. Having weekly staff meetings, with times for education is necessary. This process involves an expert interaction and a person who will train or transfer areas of knowledge (the doctor of chiropractic) to help learners (your staff) improve the education of your patients.

You must effectively train your staff so that when they teach your patients they're successful. When you train your employees, you should train them simultaneously so that everyone is clear as to what is expected of them and how they should educate patients. If this is implemented properly, your training program can provide huge benefits for you and your office. One of the benefits you'll see in your office is that you will know your patients are being educated properly.

The more your patients are educated about chiropractic and taught its benefits, the more they'll understand the need for chiropractic care. You'll see that your patients will start to value the care they receive from you and be willing to pay out of pocket for it. Patients don't have the knowledge of what chiropractic can do for them and how it can change their lives and the lives of those around them. Education is desperately important, because we are saving lives, and this is where it starts. As patients begin to understand this, they'll begin to tell others and then everything will fall into place.

Once you begin to educate your patients, you might have the problem that most people experience. Your patients might forget what they were taught, i.e., the difference between symptom‑treatment and correcting the cause once the symptoms they have experienced have subsided. They may understand the need for chiropractic care in relation to their major complaint, but they don't understand how care can help their stomach problems or feet problems.

Knowing that people learn new information differently, it's important to create the content in a format that will work for everyone. You want to be able to avoid patients not 'catching' the information you're trying to give them. You want to make your education time appealing so that your patients will absorb the material you're presenting them. Always remember to ask questions to make sure that patients have understood everything you taught them, and repeat the topics in a review for them.

People are subject to different types of learning. Some people learn by hearing, some by seeing, and some learn by touch. So, when you bring a patient into your office and your staff member begins to educate that person, he or she should be approached with the three types of learning styles in mind. Begin the proper education by structuring the information with the different types of learning styles.

The person educating, whether it be the doctor or the staff member, increases the chances that the patient he or she is speaking to will understand chiropractic by the presentation.

Presenting the information by a method that will ensure this involves first explaining the material, employing visual aids, and using a demonstration ‑‑ posters or spine ‑‑ showing the patient how things work.

The next step would be to put it into practice by having the patient move the spine or point to the poster along with handing out pamphlets and worksheets.

Besides serving the required purpose for which training has been conducted, employee training can have various other benefits. It increases morale and motivation among your employees giving them a feeling of self‑worth. Properly undertaken, it promises huge payoffs in increased productivity, knowledge, loyalty, contribution, innovations in strategies and products and an increase in efficiency ‑‑ thereby building the basis for the team that will progress and help make a difference in the lives of others.

You and your staff should be partners to advance with education to save lives!

(Studying under CS Gonstead ignited Dr. Robert Schiffman's passion for chiropractic. The Life University graduate's career accomplishments have won him much recognition, and he is one of the most sought‑after speakers in chiropractic today. Dr. Schiffman ‑‑ founder of the Get the Big Idea Seminars and Coaching Programs ‑‑ continues to maintain one of the world's largest volume practices. Contact him by calling 877‑251‑0181, or visit online at www.getthebigidea.com.)