You have the patient's history, the findings and a proposed plan. Now comes the report of findings. For many DCs, this can become a polished presentation: the doctor talks, the patient listens, and the final question is whether the patient wants to proceed.
That may be the wrong model. An effective report of findings is a conversation in which the patient needs to understand what you found, why it matters, what the reasonable options are, and what happens next.
Tip #1: Start With the Patient’s Question
Before explaining the findings, ask what matters most to the patient. “What concerns you most?” can reveal goals that an examination cannot: getting back to work, sleeping better, lifting a child or avoiding another flare-up.
A 2022 mixed-methods systematic review of chiropractic literature identified trust, communication, attentiveness to patient needs, and collaboration as central components of the chiropractor-patient relationship.1
Tip #2: Explain Less, Check More
The goal is not simply to make the report shorter. It is to make sure the patient can follow it. Break the explanation into manageable pieces. Then ask the patient to explain what he or she heard. This is “teach-back,” not a quiz. A systematic review found teach-back effective across a wide range of health-care settings.2
Try: “I want to make sure I explained that clearly. What are you taking away from what we discussed?”
Tip #3: Give the Patient a Role in the Decision
When there are reasonable options, describe them honestly: expected benefits, limitations, practical demands, and uncertainties. Ask what matters most to the patient. A 2024 umbrella review of 48 systematic reviews found shared decision-making interventions generally had neutral-to-positive effects across outcomes and quality measures.3
That does not mean every chiropractic visit needs a formal decision aid. It means patients should have a meaningful role in decisions that affect their care.
Tip #4: Don’t Use Certainty When Uncertain
You can be confident about an examination finding while remaining appropriately cautious about prognosis. “This is what I found” is different from “This is exactly what will happen.” Credibility often increases when uncertainty is handled openly rather than hidden.
Tip #5: Rewrite the Conversation
Take your current ROF model and stop providing explanations that do not help the patient understand or decide. Identify the one or two findings that matter most. Insert questions at natural stopping points. Explain reasonable options. Ask the patient to summarize the plan. Then listen. The answers will tell you whether your explanation actually worked.
What Patients Should Leave Knowing
The patient does not need to remember every anatomical term. The patient should leave knowing what you found, why it matters to the problem being addressed, what the reasonable next steps are, what you expect from the patient, and what questions remain unanswered. It’s not about persuading the patient; it’s about informing the patient well enough to make a decision.
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Key Practical Takeaways
- Start with the patient’s concern before explaining the examination findings.
- Make the report of findings a two-way conversation.
- Use teach-back to check whether you communicated clearly.
- Discuss reasonable options and involve the patient in decisions.
Do not use certainty to hide legitimate clinical uncertainty.
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References
- Ivanova D, Bishop FL, Newell D, et al. Mixed methods systematic review of the literature base exploring working alliance in the chiropractic profession. Chiropr Man Therap, 2022;30:35.
- Talevski J, Wong Shee A, Rasmussen B, et al. Teach-back: a systematic review of implementation and impacts. PLoS One, 2020;15(4):e0231350.
- Bruch JD, Khazen M, Mahmic-Kaknjo M, et al. The effects of shared decision making on health outcomes, health care quality, cost, and consultation time: an umbrella review. Patient Educ Couns, 2024;129:108408.
