Purpose or Profit?: Chiropractic Patient Education Part II

The fact that your own chiropractic patient education procedures affect the entire profession is tough to believe at first glance. If we put a little thought into the matter your viewpoint will change considerably. How many of your patients have never been to a chiropractor before visiting you? The answer is many. Like it or not, when one of these chiropractic newbies walks through your door, YOU are representing the entire profession. To these patients you ARE the chiropractic profession because they know little to nothing about our field.

Although the number of licensed Doctors of Chiropractic is steadily increasing most of the population hasn't taken advantage of our services. Many of our new patients have never been to a Doctor of Chiropractic. In these instances our actions are bound to be generalized to the entire profession. Although this may be a heavy burden to bare..it's the truth.

Need further convincing? Let's look at another scenario we all encounter frequently. How many times have you had the honor of treating a new patient who was previously the life long patient of another doctor? Perhaps Doctor Johnson down the street retired and you are treating his former patients. Maybe a patient has moved after living in another doctor's community for decades. These cases are very interesting because these patients are accustomed to their previous doctor's technique and procedures. Convincing these patients that your methods, although different, are just as effective can be very challenging.

The point here is a single chiropractor's practice and patient education do shape a patient's view of the chiropractic profession. Patients pass their point of view on to their family, friends, and co-workers. Don't be fooled into thinking that your education stays within the walls of your clinic. So like it or not doctor, your practice shapes a community's view of our profession. Although this can be a frightening realization and a big responsibility, it can should be viewed as an honor.

Most of my patients are bound to believe Diversified, Gonstead, Flexion Distraction, Decompression and basic modalities are all there is to Chiropractic. If they go to an upper cervical, SOT, or other doctor they are going to be in for some culture shock if they've never been educated properly. Likewise if I position myself as strictly a pain relief doctor, they may have difficutly transitioning to a wellness based health care model.

I know this and I am careful to explain to my patients that althought I try to relieve their pain and symptoms, there is more to the philosophy of chiropractic care. I also tell my patients that I am one Doctor of Chiropractic with one set of tools and techniques. If I can't help them, or if my practice isn't for them, maybe my colleague Doctor Jones across town is another possibility. I'm amazed at how patients respect this! I owe it to my patients and my colleagues to spread the word that chiropractic is useful for more than pain relief. I owe it to my profession to communicate the fact that there are many means to the chiropractic end!

Obviously you can't educate patients on EVERY technique and chiropractic philosophy. Instead you can introduce the concept that the world of Chiropractic is huge and a variety of possibilities exist beyond pain relief and the techniques of your own practice. You owe this to your patients and your profession! I encourage you to open your mind and educate your patients with more than your practice goals in mind.