Maybe you are just starting out in practice. Perhaps you are grappling with a downturn in patients due to the economy. Or you might just be wanting to step your practice up to the next level. Regardless of the reason, you have decided it is time to use the services of a practice-management consultant.
There is a bewildering array of companies offering these services. So, how do you pick the one that will provide you with the best possible results?
We asked a number of vendor experts in the field to tell us what they consider to be the most important qualities a DC should look for when looking to hire the services of a practice-management consultant.
Several major themes emerged from talking with our experts, who were in general agreement that the best practice-management companies operate from sound, easy-to-understand principles, offer personalized coaching and advice, have a philosophy that emphasizes ethics over "gaming" the system or patients, and have a deep knowledge of the chiropractic profession.
What to Look For: Principles and Ethics
It's a basic question when shopping for any vendor or supplier, especially one that can determine the future of your practice: How long have they been in business?
While the answer to that question is no guarantee that a prospective practice-management company or consultant is a good one, it tends to be true that companies and consultants that have withstood the test of time are also very likely to have solid operating principles.
Which leads to the next basic question: What principles underpin their strategy and tactics?
Find out exactly what those principles are, because knowing and understanding the basis of the vendor's approach should come well before the signing of any contracts, according to Rick Barrows, DC, and Robert Bearden, DC, both of AMC (www.amcfamily.com), a consulting company in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Be very comfortable with the company's approach, because understanding what they want to do with your business leads to a question that should never be overlooked, according to Barrows and Bearden: Does the management company provide ethical, moral and legal guidance that is both beneficial and supportive of the chiropractic profession?
Systems that have shown long-term success strongly emphasize ethical practices over exotic schemes, according to all our experts. This seems obvious, but the profession has examples of consultants who preach approaches that, for example, are clearly intended to talk patients into treatments they don't need.
"The right practice-management consultant functions with ethics and integrity, and has a commitment to your success and the success of the chiropractic profession," according to Mark Sanna, DC, of Breakthrough Coaching (www.mybreakthrough.com), a coaching company in Vernon, N.J.
What to Look For: Deep Knowledge
"Working with a personal coach who has the real-world experience of successfully managing chiropractic practices in today's health care marketplace will accelerate your progress and hold you accountable to your goals and vision," Sanna says. "There is nothing more inspiring than to learn from someone who has been there and done what you wish to accomplish."
Peter G. Fernandez, DC, who runs a consulting company (www.drfernandez.com) based in Seminole, Fla., also puts knowl-edge at the top of his checklist.
"Look for a competent consultant who has written widely (i.e., books, articles, classes, manuals, etc.) on the full range of practice-management subjects (i.e., CA Training, Associate Doctor, Insurance and Office Procedures, Practice Finance, Personal Injury, New Patient Acquisition, Patient Retention, Exam Procedures, Advertising and Marketing)," Fernandez says. "You can tell how knowledgeable a consultant is by how much he/she is published."
Another tip, according to Fernandez: "Find a veteran consultant whose experience spans 10 or more years. The more doctors he/she has consulted with, over the longest period of time, the better off you'll be.
[pb]What to Look For: Individualized Training and Resources
All of our experts also feel that an understanding of the chiropractor as an individual makes a huge difference.
Dennis Perman of The Masters Circle (www.themasterscircle.com), a consulting firm based out of Jericho, N.Y., calls acknowledgement of each chiropractor's uniqueness "The X Factor" in the relationship between the practitioner and the consulting firm.
"Most consulting companies offer systematic office procedures, new patient and patient-education techniques, and policies on effective money management," Perman says. "Our research has uncovered an 'X' factor that seems to dramatically improve results - the doctor's identity. Consulting companies who teach a 'system' run the risk of getting results only with those whose identities are consistent with that system."
Sanna agrees with the importance of seeing each doctor as an individual: "This brings out the difference between 'consulting' and 'coaching.' Consulting is advising, providing information and answering questions. Coaching, on the other hand, is about guiding the doctor toward discovery.
"One-on-one personal coaching is the top product a practice-management company can offer to educate and inspire chiropractors," adds Sanna.
And according to Fernandez, a high-quality management firm also needs to have significant resources to help the doctor during and after a training period:
"Find a consultant whose information resources are available to doctors and their CAs 24/7 and conveniently include the following: online video classes, CA training, and office procedure materials, books, tapes, manuals, checklists, articles, marketing and advertising programs, phone scripts, etc."
Bearden and Barrows concur, saying a doctor should always ask, before signing a contract, whether the "training is truly comprehensive to include seminars, media and individual coaching."
Bearden and Barrows also emphasize that the doctor should not hesitate to ask if there are any "hidden" fees for training that may not be immediately disclosed in marketing materials.
Our experts also noted that it is vitally important to know whether or not the consultant has training that is specialized enough for their practice.
"Find a problem-specific consultant," Fernandez says. "There are consultants that specialize in certain types of chiropractic practices. Make sure you have a consultant that specializes in the area you need guidance in, such as: starting a practice, MD/DC/PT practices, static practices, technique-specific practices, small volume practices, new patient acquisition, insurance versus cash practices, day-to-day consulting, etc."
Fernandez also says that just finding the right practice-management consultant or coach is only the first step toward improving your practice. "When you find this consultant, be sure you will be speaking with him/her directly, and not passed off to a less experienced staff member."
Other Key Factors to Consider Before You Sign With a Consultant
Fee structures: Bearden and Barrows say that doctors should always ask whether the fee structure being proposed is flat or based on the growth of the practice.
A national perspective: According to Sanna, "The insular practice of the past is obsolete. There is safety in numbers. A practice-management company should provide your practice with the advantage of a national perspective, delivered with relevance to your local marketplace. A national perspective enables you to spot and respond to health care trends before they impact your bottom line."
Custom-tailoring: Perman believes that great practice-management firms should have the ability to offer a custom-tailored, iden-tity-based approach, "so the work you do is not just some boilerplate methodology that works a percentage of the time, but rather a precise and specific technology, tuned to your identity and practice philosophy, so there's a good fit between the 'being' and the 'doing.'"
Making All the Difference
The right practice-management program can make all the difference. Hopefully, our experts have given you the knowledge to select the one that works best for you.
Continuing to impress the advertising and marketing world, The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (F4CP) has again been recognized by industry organizations for its excellence in educating consumers on the benefits of chiropractic, this time through social media, newsletters, and demonstrating thought leadership by promoting holistic well-being.
Dr. Louis Sportelli received the Lee-Homewood Chiropractic Heritage Award during the annual conference of the Association for the History of Chiropractic (AHC). During his nearly 60-year career, Dr. Sportelli has embodied the spirit of the award, given to “living individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the chiropractic profession.”
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