Clinical Solutions Blog

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!

From time to time, we might be faced with a difficult angry patient.

You know, the types that are a little on the demanding side:

“What do you mean my appointment’s not today?”

“Look, I’ve been waiting for over half an hour...”

“I want to speak to the owner right now!”

Sound familiar?

Unfortunately these situations are common occurrences in physiotherapy, chiropractic, and massage therapy clinics. It's not necessarily your fault because circumstances can be out of your control. Or, it may be that the client is overly emotional. Let's face it, dealing with pain and injury can be an emotional and frustrating experience for patients.

Regardless of the situation, or its cause, dealing with angry patients can sometimes be tricky. And you really want to do it tactfully to ensure your reputation doesn't suffer. The last thing you want is for someone to post bad reviews on Facebook, Google Reviews, or some other social media channel and slander your brand! 

Trust me, after running my own clinics, I've not only dealt with many difficult angry patients, but I've learned how to overcome the problem, too.

Successfully defusing hostility and getting that patient to advocate for you is an entirely different ball game, one that you need to learn. Thankfully, I'm here to provide a helping hand and have 10 powerful steps you can use to effectively defuse any nasty situation.

As a healthcare professional, you hope that your patient will follow through on your rehabilitation recommendations after they leave your clinic. Studies show compliance rates to rehabilitation range from 40-91% (Brewer, 2002). Whether you are setting up a physiotherapy clinic or have a super busy massage or chiropractic practice, compliance rates are crucial to boosting your patient's outcome measures which ultimately effects the reputation of your clinic. 

How do you ensure that your patients will stick to their treatment program and not fall off after their 3rd appointment with you? The answer is simple. The patient must like and trust you. If you have both of these areas covered, they will adhere to your treatment plans and follow your advice. Here are nine easy ways to boost your patient compliance, from assessment to discharge, that will drive repeat visits.