These questions are often asked:
- Why do my patients drop out so soon after starting treatment when they are pain free?
- Why do my patients dismiss themselves prematurely before completing their recommended care?
- So few of my patients take adjustments only once a month.
Why?
Doctor, have you ever taken the time to evaluate your style of practice? What are your practice priorities? Do you prefer quality care with continuous patient education, good doctor patient relationships, follow up calls and long term retention?
Or do you prefer a high volume practice which focuses on getting large number of new patients with low patient retention? (Hit 'em high, hit 'em low, charge them $25, and let 'em go!)
Is your focus on long-term benefits and patient longevity, or short-term, "quick fix" and low patient retention?
The Quantity Practice
A quantity practice consists of large numbers of new patients looking for a "quick fix." Patients have no plan of continuous health care or referrals from their family and friends. Doctors must work fast and well under constant pressure.
- Patients will leave for a lower fee or a better deal down the street.
- There's a continuous need for expensive marketing to maintain the necessary high volume, low retention numbers of new patients.
- The doctor may suffer from burnout and depression.
Doctors, if you have this type of practice, can you continue this physical work and pace for the next 10-20? Your life span may be shortened because of it.
The Quality Practice
A quality practice is a solid gold practice which focuses on retaining patients by doing more for them: addressing their total health needs and building a strong referral-based practice through continuous patient education in the philosophy of chiropractic, which is the foundation for a solid, growing, lasting practice with maximum referrals. There are no disadvantages to this type of practice.
Doctor, do you feel you need more new patients? If you do, take a look at the total number of visits from your last 10 new patients. Do your patients drop out before your recommended care is completed? Do your patients dismiss themselves prematurely?
Have you slipped in teaching your patients why they get better with chiropractic care and why they should continue to be healthier with periodic chiropractic care?
Doctor, if you feel the necessity for regular chiropractic care for you and your family, don't you feel your family of patients deserves the same understanding of how chiropractic works and their need for continuous chiropractic lifetime care?
Doctor, are you short-changing your patients and your future by failing to teach your patients the philosophy of chiropractic? When you commit to ongoing philosophical education for every patient, you will feel happier inside, and your patients will be healthier inside.
Start today! Teach every new patient the how and why chiropractic works. Do this consistently and persistently for the next 60 days, then pull all new patient charts that have come into your office within the last 60 days. Check for patient retention. You will be surprised at the improved patient follow through.
It is a win-win benefit for your patients and for your practice.
Act now!
DeAna Warren
Roswell, Georgia
(404) 443-1799