Create a New Culture
Many DCs in our profession make the mistake of assuming that the public knows what health is and understands our role in it. This assumption is perhaps the biggest source of struggle in Chiropractic today. The truth is that about 5% of the population has experienced Chiropractic care, and the majority of those have only been treated for back pain and musculoskeletal symptoms. After the symptoms disappear, so do the patients. Don’t fool yourself into thinking this isn’t true. So what’s the solution. Simply stated, you need to educate each and every one your patients. You must create a new Chiropractic culture in your office.
If you ask someone if they’re healthy, they will most likely say yes. If you ask how many medications they are on, they will proudly tell you 3, 5 or 7. They believe that taking medications will produce health. Other than what they’ve heard or seen on TV, they have no paradigm on which to base their decision to participate in Chiropractic. With this as their knowledge base, it is no wonder they come in to treat symptoms with insurance card in hand and leave when the symptoms or the insurance diminish. Until we start educating them and creating a new Chiropractic culture, they won’t know any better.
Making an informed decision
Creating a new Chiropractic culture is not hard to do. You simply have to create an environment of greatness that reflects this new belief system. This environment is generated by what you say and do, what your staff says and does, and by what you have on your walls. Having a complete system of patient education and office procedures makes it so much easier for the patient to make an informed decision instead of one based on ignorance. They will understand you and Chiropractic. Every time you allow a patient to tell you what to do, you promote the public perception of Chiropractic as short-term back therapy for adults only.
Imagine, if you will, a mother telling the dentist that she is bringing in only her child with lots of cavities. Or parents saying to a teacher that they are only bringing their “slower” child to school. It just doesn’t make any sense to continue to represent our profession in this way.
Any time you are creating a new paradigm, the emphasis must be on the younger generation. Chiropractic is no exception. So many DCs think, “Man, if I could just get a few more patients in the door, I’d be okay.” We push harder and harder and become salespeople, instead of teachers. Is your Chiropractic dream to become a salesperson?
Are your patients running your practice?
When you allow the public perception of Chiropractic to run your office, the inmates are in charge of the asylum. Signs of a patient run practice are:
- when you stop telling the story because “nobody wants to listen”
- adjusting on the first visit
- bartering with finances
- patients “forgetting” about the co-pay
- and so many more…
Along these lines, we try to force people to show commitment for something they know nothing about by “selling” them yearly plans with pre-pay discounts. Instead, we should be allowing the patient to make the decision that’s best for them and their family. When you educate, your heart is in your office and the needs of others. You are on purpose. You stop judging and being resentful of others who choose not to participate in care. When you have complete confidence in your patient education, it shows. You see it in your income, office environment, and the quality of your patients. The inmates stop running the asylum.
This new culture of Chiropractic is here to stay. Most of us were not trained in the new culture during school, so if you want in, it’s time to upgrade. This is the role Chiropractic coaches play. Find a coach that matches up with your personality and your needs. Don’t be left behind. The new culture of Chiropractic is more fun, involves less paperwork and, by the way, is way more profitable. If you choose not to create a new culture of Chiropractic, that’s okay! Just know that without it, you’ll remain in the culture that has been created by MDs, social media, and TV shows. The choice is yours, doctor.
