“Your expectations shape your reality. They can change your life, emotionally and physically. You need to be extra careful about (and aware of) the expectations you harbor as the wrong ones make life unnecessarily difficult.”
– Travis Bradberry
So what are the three questions patients want answers to once in the door?
- Do you know what is wrong with me?
- Do you think you can help me?
- Have you ever helped anyone else with the same problem?
As far as expectations, they only have one.
YOU WILL FIX THEM!
What about your expectations? When a patient comes to your office what do you expect?
- They will sign up for your care program.
- They will understand the value of regular ongoing chiropractic care.
- They will make all their appointments.
- They will pay you for your services.
- They will get better if they follow your recommendations.
- They will refer their friends and family members.
Do you see the problem here? They enter your office with one expectation, and that expectation is not even on your list. Good relationships require both parties have the same expectations, and the ones that don’t do not last very long and usually end painfully (forgive the pun here).
If you are going to have a successful risk free relationship with your patients, the first thing you need to do is change their expectations
so that theirs and yours are the same?
First, let’s look at the things you are most likely already doing that unfortunately do not change the patient’s expectations.
- Patient Case History
- Patient Consultation
- Patient Examination
- Report of Findings
- Care Recommendations
- Care Plan
- Financial Discussions
All those things, even if the patient completely understands your report of findings and care plan recommendations, do not change their expectations. If they did, every patient would become a life-long patient and follow-through with care. How many of your patients follow through with care?
With the wrong expectations, if the patient gets better they leave; if they don’t get better right away or may even get a little worse they leave. As a result, most doctors are on a constant quest for new patients.
There is only one thing that changes the patient’s expectations.
Sitting down and talking about their expectations.
Asking them what their expectations are and explaining to them what they should be and why.
In our world of Risk Management, we call that Informed Consent.
In your world of patient expectations, you should call it Informed Consent.
Is the Informed Consent that you are using designed to create the right expectations? It should! Are you even using an Informed Consent? You should!
Our good friends at ChiroSecure have provided a quick video on Informed Consent and exactly how you should use it. Check it out.
Want to know more about ChiroSecure visit: https://www.chirosecure.com/
