If you had a chance to read the recent article in Time magazine (April 6), you know it provided some good information about the efficacy of chiropractic to the magazine's substantial consumer audience. Here's a sampling excerpted directly from the article:1
This is probably one of the few times (if not the first time) so many solid studies supporting chiropractic are referenced in a single article in a popular magazine. The Time article references a total of seven papers, and while they mostly focus on back pain, they do confirm the effectiveness and safety of chiropractic.
But another aspect of this article probably had you cringing (as it did me), perhaps best illustrated with this statement: "Like any other type of doctor, some chiropractors are good, some are just OK and some are bad," says Dr. Simon Dagenais, a chiropractor and clinical epidemiologist. "It takes just a few rotten apples to spoil the bunch."
While everyone has had unfavorable experiences with all types of health care providers (dentists top my list), this seems to be a bigger issue for our profession. If you read the Gallup-Palmer College of Chiropractic Inaugural Report: American's Perceptions of Chiropractic5 carefully, you can't help but notice that of the 51 percent of U.S. adults who have had some experience with a doctor of chiropractic, 25 percent (about half) haven't been back in more than five years. Taking into consideration that many people don't go see a DC unless they have back pain, there is still some concern that a significant portion of that 25 percent left their last appointment less than 100 percent satisfied with their care.
There is a theme that usually arises when I talk to consumers I know. A common question they ask me is: Where can I find a good chiropractor? They know chiropractic is effective and prefer it over drugs, but they are unsure about how to find a DC who will fit their needs. A few questions bring out the fact that they have gone to a DC before, but weren't entirely satisfied with the experience.
I can't help but see this as more of a communication challenge, rather than a quality-of-care issue. In most cases, it sounds as if their expectations were not met and the doctor in question wasn't proactive in their relationship.
If you look further into the Gallup-Palmer survey, you find some support for this conclusion. It is clear patients who see their DC more regularly have a higher regard and greater trust for their doctor and the care they provide. One can only assume this is the result of their experience and the doctor-patient communication that accompanies each visit.
Chiropractic is not readily understood by most of the public. There aren't any television dramas that provide context to the value of our care. We lack the sufficient marketing budget to tell our own story to large numbers of consumers. With all that in mind, every patient interaction you have is much more important than you might think. It is your time to answer questions, dispel myths and provide an authoritative response to the naysayers who have been telling them not to come see you.
Schedule time at the end of every visit to have a conversation with the patient about chiropractic. Pick a topic you want to address each week or month. You can talk about chiropractic for children and seniors, the importance of nutrition, misconceptions that patients have, etc.
In listening to consumers I meet, I honestly believe a DC who takes the time to communicate well will be considered a better doctor by their patients and be more likely to get referrals.
References
Read more findings on my blog: http://blog.toyourhealth.com/wrblog/. You can also visit me on Facebook.
When sports chiropractors first appeared at the Olympic Games in the 1980s, it was alongside individual athletes who had experienced the benefits of chiropractic care in their training and recovery processes at home. Fast forward to Paris 2024, where chiropractic care was available in the polyclinic for all athletes, and the attitude has now evolved to recognize that “every athlete deserves access to sports chiropractic."
It is estimated that 61% of patients with CTS avoid taking surgical options due to postoperative complications and costly surgical procedures. Chiropractic care offers a comprehensive and effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome, addressing the condition from multiple angles. Recent studies also have unveiled a game-changing adjunct to chiropractic treatments for CTS: nerve flossing.
Some doctors thrive in a personality-based clinic and have a loyal following no matter what services or equipment they offer, but for most chiropractic offices who are trying to grow and expand, new equipment purchases help us stay relevant and continue to service our client base in the best, most up-to-date manner possible. So, regarding equipment purchasing: should you lease, get a bank loan, or pay cash?
