This week we’re keeping it short and sweet. Please don’t let that fool you. There is power in simplicity for those who value results and progress, instead of just activity.
We can agree there is nothing more important during your day than time with your patients. This is your opportunity to make a real difference in your patients life and to connect with them personally, emotionally, and build relationship.
Sometimes this concept of relationship gets taken out of context, (to LIKE you is fine, to BEFRIEND is not the point). Instead, it’s to accept your clinical advice and guidance towards better, more optimal and complete health. That is your role and responsibility within this patient + professional interaction.
From a Practice standpoint you serve your Patients by focusing on Presenting Treatment, in order for it to be a diagnosis it has to be presented, in order for it to be accepted it has to be wanted, believed in, and agreed to.
Tell a patient they need work done is easy. You get no points for that.
However, we do have to start somewhere…remember this…they can only accept and say yes to what you have diagnosed and presented. Don’t short change your patient’s help, don’t take an opportunity away from them before they’ve even had the chance to do the right thing.
Here’s 3 steps to make sure Patients see your perspective and most importantly you see theirs. This will make diagnosis treatment far more successful and culminate in the Patients’ buy-in and acceptance of the presented treatment, which is the only point.
Step 1: ASK more questions… specifically, what does the Patient want?
Step 2: TAKE more pictures… spend more time with the Patient going through what THEY see.
Step 3: EXPLAIN what the future looks like… if nothing changes or if something changes, go through both scenarios so they see the consequences and perhaps more importantly FEEL the rewards and life impact of accepting treatment.
The biggest problem with case acceptance and treatment diagnosis in the first place is it’s usually just told, dictated, spoken to the patient like a finding of clinical fact for which a) they don’t care about and b) they don’t understand.
Make it personal…make it relevant…make it mean something to them.
It’s about the Patient, not you. Try these 3 steps on everyone of them and watch the magic happen, they’ll do the work for you, and you and them will have more fun and far better results.
Have a great week,
Scott
PS – reminder…you are suppose to use these to practice with each other, have a point of focus for the week, and use them in your meetings, review daily on your results… or even a little healthy competition with your Team. Take leadership please, someone with each other, and everyone with your individual patients. Go go go!
