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The Keys To A Successful Practice

In the June 2001 issue of COCA News I discussed Communication as one of the main keys to a successful business. Two other aspects I consider critical to a successful practice are as follows;

Patient Satisfaction
The most important aspect, of course, is to get results with your patient, as this is why they are paying you. Clinic environment is an essential component to achieving patient satisfaction. It must be very friendly and this starts at your front desk. If the chiropractic assistant can greet the patient with a welcome smile and genuine caring nature, then it makes it much easier for the chiropractor to complete his or her care.

It is important that the patient wants to come to your clinic and does not have to come. Each patient’s visit to your clinic is possibly the most important event for them that day and it is often worthwhile us putting ourselves in the position of the patient and asking ourselves if we would have been satisfied with the care they received that day. You and your staff must have the ability to exclude everyday personal factors and concentrate solely on the patient and their circumstances in which they present cannot be over rated.

Caring Attitude
The Chiropractic Assistants (CA’s) have already done their part at the front desk and it is now time for the chiropractor’s caring attitude to take over. Your genuine enthusiasm and love of your patient should stand out regardless of the patient’s attitude. Admittedly there are some patients you couldn’t warm up to even if your were cremated together, however the sign of an outstanding doctor is one whose personality never changes with all types of patients. To be the best chiropractor in your area you must be willing to go that little bit extra than would otherwise be expected in contemporary medical/health care settings.

Every patient should be given your home telephone number and told that they can call you for weekend emergencies if required. Probably the smartest piece of advice I could give chiropractors is that when people do come and see you for weekend emergencies that you do not charge them. Not only do they get their own doctor (not a locum) who is happy to see them on weekends, but also at no charge. This puts you above any other practitioner and the short-term economic loss will soon be recouped with a happy, satisfied long-term patient who will readily refer. In 25 years I have yet to find a patient that has abused this privilege.

Get your CA’s to ring patients after their first treatment to see how they are feeling; again, this is something that puts you above a normal practitioner.

Have your CA’s ring missed appointments. It shows you care about their health and allows them to make a new appointment with ease if forgetfulness (as it so often is) is the cause. If they have not come back because of some critique, this allows you the opportunity to address a perceived problem and correct it before it occurs again.

In the very sterile world of health, touching is an absolutely essential part of our practice. The only time that some patients may have had any physical contact for an entire day is when they come into your practice, thus the importance of touch. An example being massaging their shoulders whilst you are talking to them.

Another important attribute for the caring chiropractor is the ability to be a good listener. As any experienced practitioner can attest, people often have stresses or worries that they cannot talk to anyone else about. Failure to address these emotional concerns can be just as detrimental to your adjustment as a failure to correct the physical component of their problem. You do not have to consult them as a psychologist more simply just as a good friend. Problems often don’t need to be fixed, simply voicing them helps and the doctor-patient confidentiality provides the perfect avenue for some patients knowing that what goes on in the room stays in the room.

Noel J Patterson, Chiropractor