On the fence about a new patient?
You’ve seen dozens like her…she’s always looking at her watch/smartphone, she is agitated, distracted and she has a way of making you a part of her problem. When she walks in your office, she brings with her a cloud of tension. An exasperated shake of her head, rolling her eyes, another deep sigh. She's tapping her foot, jingling her car keys, and checking her texts that she has ALREADY read. She's clearly in a hurry and doesn't want to finish the paperwork, or have a thorough exam and just wants to be 'cracked' today. She doesn't show respect to you or your staff.
What are you going to do?
For lots of great DCs, this is a recurring nightmare. You want to help as many people as possible, but is being humiliated and treated with a lack of respect really part of the process? You don't want to turn her away, but new patients are a sore spot in your office.
So you accept her as a patient, knowing all too well that she is going to be a royal pain in your derriere. You rationalize the situation and think about all the patients you have who started out just like her, who 'turned' into great patients. The problem is, they took a lot of time and effort, and truth be told most zebras don't change their stripes.
She is looking for someone who will agree with her demands, someone who avoids confrontation at all costs, a real pushover. She's looking for someone who accepts her high deductibles, high co-pays, limited coverage, etc., and figures if you don't do it, the guy down the street will. The solution is underneath all of her pretense and self-importance. The solution lies within the chronicity of the problem...chronicity that she doesn't want to tell you about.
The problem with this scenario is the same problem that plays out each and every day in countless DC offices - she won't get results. Oh, she can get some temporary, minor pain relief, however, this strategy won't work for any neurological or chronic problem. It won't work for the patient...or for the doctor!
You can't get up-front results with neurologically impaired patients. Some people entering your office have had conditions for years or even decades, and they expect you to make all of that go away in a few forced visits. Aint gonna happen!!
Believe it or not, when there is an urgency and willingness in the patient, they are willing to follow your guidelines. They are willing to follow your recommendations because they are coming from other failed attempts to resolve their problems. They think to themselves, "there must be a better way".
If you cave to their demands, you won't produce anything besides short-term pain relief. They will not benefit from the old, outdated model of adult, pain relief. If you keep practicing this old model, the patient will never get to experience the full benefits of Chiropractic care.
Stand before your patient in truth.
Make a decision right then and there to help people who are willing to do the work to achieve the results. Think personal trainers at a gym. Everyone wants a great physique, but not everyone is willing to do the work. It's not rocket science...more commitment = more results.
