Here's a referral challenge

Whether you are a new graduate or an experienced practitioner, think about this question.

If a loved one called you from across the country to seek a referral for a neurosurgeon what would you do? 

Even if you did not personally know a neurosurgeon you could safely rely on certain criteria. 

Look up their CV, find out the medical school they graduated from, see which accredited hospitals they are affiliated with and chances are you would have a good idea based on credentials that this individual would be a rather safe referral. 

What about referral to a chiropractic colleague?  How do you go about making that referral with any degree of confidence? 

This is not an indictment of all the D.C.s but rather of our lack of “third party credentialing” to provide at least a sense of confidence.

So how do D.C.s get their name and reputation “out there” so when others are looking for a D.C. your name will make the list. 

Participation in your state and national association is a good start.  While participation does not guarantee competence it demonstrates professional responsibility. 

Additional certification, ongoing post graduate training, published articles, website that outlines your mission for your office, community involvement and civic contribution all go to help form the impression that provides confidence in making a referral. 

It is important to start early to help build that reputation so when the need arises for a “referral you can trust” it will be obvious that you are a good choice.

Avoiding Mishaps

This morning, a young mother and two small children came to the office. One of the kids was in a stroller while the other toddler who was quite well behaved, sat quietly while his mom received therapy prior to having an adjustment.

This same scenario plays out all day long both in chiropractic offices as well as medical facilities around the world.

As it is not unusual for children to accompany a parent who is receiving treatment in my office, our staff is particularly careful in monitoring the kids activities especially while around both mechanical and electrical devices.

Both adults and children are naturally inquisitive about instruments and equipment and their operation. I recall being a young adult and while waiting for the dentist to appear often "playing" with gadgets and unknown nobs, while in the dental chair.

Fortunately, I never burned anything with a torch nor caused any specific damage with a drill but...  accidents can and do occur.

It is important to safety proof your office as much as possible and take particular precautions when children are around and not "fully supervised." Take an inventory of your office and implement any thing that you feel will make the facility less vulnerable to an adverse event.

And if an accident does take place-  do you and your staff have a plan and if not I would recommend that one be considered.

Happy days! 

Making a Practice Your Own (Part 6 of Dr. Z's Interview)

New Doctors who have the pleasure of Associating with well established D.C.'s often have differences of opinion about the way they will run their office once they open or purchase thier own practice. We asked Dr.Z if there was anything he would change or improve in the structure/function/operation of the office he now works in if he had the ability to change it. His reply was one of thought and gratefulness, a sure sign that he's having a great associateship with a professional senior doctor.

"Having only minimal exposure to well-established practices, I would say there is little that could be improved in this efficient place. I do, however, have a suggestion which is a personal preference of mine. I would prefer that patient charts were left in a recepticle outside the adjusting rooms, with the door closed, to give the doctor a chance to review the case (and to see the patient's name) without having the patient watch me thumb my way through the file. In this way, no contatct with the patient is necessary until the doctor is ready to speak to them. The fact that I am unfamiliar with most cases in the office is probably why I feel this way. I've gotten the feeling on many occasions that the patient feels uncomfortable with me if I must "learn" their entire case in the few minutes before I adjust them."

Dr. Z is learning what it takes to make the patient have confidence in him. He doesn't expect to change his whole office, but instead is learning that patient-centered care is what's important.

Whether you are just now moving into your college clinic, recently established a new practice or just beginning a new associateship, do you have a small tip you'd share concerning making a practice "your own?"

 

Dangerous crossing: when doctors and patients become online friends

Every day there is another incident where the lines cross between professional and social relationships.  The blurring of boundaries is creating a huge issue in law and medicine.

The innocent violations of HIPAA, confidentiality, Protected Health Information (PHI) and a host of other breaches of confidentiality are almost too numerous to mention. 

While it may seem unlikely that we will go back to a world without Facebook,Twitter or LinkedIn, it is increasingly more difficult to escape from the horrors of early lapses in judgment that occurred during a moment of euphoria which clouds long-term judgment.

• Employers are increasingly going on Google searches with prospective employees or associates.
• Board of examiners and malpractice attorneys are looking up clients on these social networks.
• Patients and prospective patients are turning to social networking to look up their doctor and often uncover unprofessional photos and comments that can never be erased from the web.

Doctors can avoid these problems by discussing patient/doctor, patient/staff and doctor/patient boundary issues ... and by emphasizing the importance of privacy, confidentiality and adherence to HIPAA rules and regulations. 

The waters of the virtual world are turbulent and can create significant problems for the unsuspecting.

Getting New Patients In The Door (Part 5 of Dr. Z's Interview)

It was clear at this point in our conversation that Dr. Z had ideas about getting involved in community organizations and networking with local businesses.  But how does this translate into new patients in the practice?

Dr. Z plans to leverage the contacts he makes within the community.  He is going to focus on groups that have not had interactions with the practice in the past and join organizations with members he doesn't know and are not already patients.

You see, the thing is, Dr. Z needs to be the point of contact for the patient.  It factors into his compensation whether the patient is his or not and if they came to the practice through his efforts.  So keeping track of where the patients heard about the practice is really important.

Clearly, community involvement is an important component of Dr. Z's marketing plan.  But I asked if it was important for him to be involved in organizations in which he had a passion for the organization's mission.

This gave Dr. Z pause.  I'm not sure he had thought of that aspect of it.  "I guess I need to think about that.  I've been thinking about this from my perspective and not from the perspective of the organization and the other volunteers involved."

We talked about this for a bit and I shared my perspective as a volunteer leader with a few non-profit organizations in my community.  I told him that if he is not sincere in his motives he will likely not put in the effort expected by others involved.  Also, if he finds organizations he has a genuine interest in, it will be less like work and more productive.

I think this was a good lesson for Dr. Z.  I know from my experience, if a volunteer is only involved to promote their business, the volunteers like me who are genuine about the mission will be resentful and insulted....and not very likely to be supportive of the business being promoted in the first place.

Dr. Z thought for a moment and replied "I never thought about it like that, but that does give me another way to think about my involvement."

 

 

A lending library for your community

What a nice way to help bring reading into the lives of your patients.  Consider a lending library, I did for about 30 years and we had to do it by hand with a rolodex file with return dates and names of the book and lender. 

How easy today with computer programs to keep track of the books, and what a wonderful way to introduce many new books on Health, Motivation, Leadership, Mind Body, Business and a host of other topics that you may elect. 

One note of caution, read the book first before you put it in your lending library just to be certain that the book is consistent with your views and that you can converse easily with your patient who asks about it. 

Charles Tremendous Jones said:  “You’re the same person today that you were yesterday except for two things—the people you meet and the books you read.”  Open up a new world for some of your patients and they will be eternally grateful for your influence and leadership.

Hold on tight

Many individuals were not only frightened, but scared out of the stock market near the end of 2008. You may recall the market diving and the Bush administration implementing policies including TARP which - while it had its detractors - many believe the program saved our economic system from additional consequences.

Clearly some benefited who should not have, while others - including Lehman Brothers - went "belly up" or were devastated. 

Over the past four years, market values have gradually increased although turmoil and uncertainty within the financial  system continues worldwide. There have been periods of high volatility as markets react to politicians posturing and maneuvering, before addressing  debt ceilings and the financial stability of some member countries within the EU.

During these periods, it's particularly interesting to watch and read as the savvy mega rich (including Warren Buffett) often increase their positions in equities as the market declines and as the average investor sells.

While most people naturally become apprehensive during turbulent periods, others see opportunity in companies whose stock prices have declined in spite of good management and adopt an outlook for long-term growth.  

As you ponder your future, even if retirement is many years off, this is a great time to look at your current portfolio and investments, discarding those that may not now meet your goals or expectations and replace them with ones that have a better potential for the future.

Periodically reviewing and rebalancing your investment portfolio is important - including holding or increasing positions in good companies and selling those that are no longer positioned for success. 

Happy days!

New Year...New Insurances

As we get ready for the new year, be prepared for quite a few patients who will have new insurance cards and possibly new plans.

For years now, I have used a form that I made up which the front desk uses when there is a new patient or new insurance card.  When they call to verify coverage, they ask a few more questions while they have an actual HUMAN on the other line.

Here are the specifics:

• Chiropractic manipulative therapy codes covered
• Evaluation and management codes covered
• Limited visits in a calander year and if so how many
• Is a treatment plan required and, if so, after the first visit or how many
• X-rays and MRI coverage and if they need to be done at the hospital or in our facility and is a pre-authorization needed
• Therapies covered in terms of Ultra-sound/EMS etc...
• Deductable and how much
• Verify that we are considered a specialists in terms of co-pays and in or out of network

With these questions asnwered, there will be no surprises to the patient and they will understand their financial responsibilities prior to treatment. A lot of times, these cards will look the same and have similiar plans but I like to verify anyway.

Happy Holidays to ALL!!!!!!!!!!!

A Need to be "Seen" (Part 4 of Dr. Z's Interview)

The ongoing interview we had with Dr. Z opened up a series of situations that new doctors often experience but never fully expect ... even though all of the educational institutions expose their students to them in one form or another.

For instance, NCMIC returns yearly to every campus with our Starting into Practice seminars that give students tools and ideas they will need for future marketing. For example, we speak about the necessity of getting to know your community.

Here, Dr Z explains in his own words how he plans to increase his exposure to his community now that he's had several months to "get acquainted" with his town. These are all principles taught in the Starting into Practice workshop.

"I now realize that exposure within the community is vital. I know it will be necessary for me to become involved with a local community organization that I will enjoy so that people will get to know the real me. I plan to frequent more business establishments, such as restaurants and retail stores to make myself more visible. While visiting, I want to make an effort to get to know the owners and employees. If I encounter individuals who have not yet visited the office, I will offer a tour to familiarize and educate them in chiropractic. I hope to approach this situation from the aspect of, "I've seen your place of business, why don't you come and visit mine."

Dr Z is catching on to the point of needing to be "seen" in his community and understands that it's not just about being seen; it's about creating trust. People refer people to doctors they trust.

Do you have any ideas that others might be able to use concerning "getting acquainted" with your community?

 

 

Will they call you in an emergency?

I wonder if there was a need for a doctor of chiropractic, would your name be the one that comes to the top of the mind of the residents in your community?

Everyone knows that the hospital emergency room is open 24/7.  The care may, at times, be impersonal and sometimes the wait is long, but the ER is always open and that is a comfort when the need arises. 

Being available just makes good business sense and increasingly the availability of doctors during “off hours” is progressively becoming more prevalent. If you want your current patients and potential patients to have some comfort during those times when the office is not normally open but your patients have an emergency, be certain to communicate that message to them. 

Be certain your staff is on board with this policy so there are no conflicting messages when patients ask about your availability policy.  You will be surprised how little it is abused but how meaningful it is just knowing you will be there if needed.