Clinical Solutions Blog

Why are you leaving it up to patients to make the decisions?

YOU (and your team) ARE THE PROFESSIONALS.

That’s why they have sought out your healthcare services in the first place, because they need a professional opinion, they need professional advice, and they want guidance and direction from you and your team.

This is one of the main reasons clinic owners struggle with patient engagement and achieving successful outcomes.

As a registered physical therapist of more than 18 years I understand that we are ‘ethical’ based practitioners. We’re in the caring business. So being a highly professional trusted health advisor and making strong recommendations can make many therapists feel pushy.

But I can tell you this is not what patients think.

I own AlbertaPT, which has 6 locations in Calgary. We run a multidisciplinary clinic that includes physiotherapists, kinesiologists, massage therapists, and we work with physicians.

As physiotherapists, chiropractors, and massage therapists, we need to engage the person in a treatment plan at the very first visit. And really, patient satisfaction and retention isn’t all that complicated.

So let’s talk about 10 patient engagement strategies you can implement tomorrow at your practice.

Do you spend energy trying to convince your patients to come for 10 visits – all the while worrying about what it’s going to cost them?

Do you avoid recommending products because you’re concerned they can’t pay for them?

Can I just stop you there…

You are NOT a financial advisor.

Your responsibility as a physiotherapist, chiropractor, or massage therapist is to be your patient's most trusted health advisor, period!

As a registered physiotherapist of more than 18 years I understand that we are ‘ethical’ based practitioners. We’re in the caring business and we don’t like to do physiotherapy marketing a lot of the time.

BUT it is unethical to not offer what I call ‘Informed Consent’. This means putting together a full list of treatment options which I call the 'complete care plan'.  That often includes setting expectations, establishing commitments, and recommending the required services and products to the client from day 1.  

Do you think a surgeon only offer his patient one choice? No. Does it upset you when physiotherapy is not one of the treatment options the surgeon presents because of the expense?

So let’s talk about how you can raise your status to become your patients most trusted health advisor. Then they will never question your advice again, and get far better results as well!