What are some "bad patient" situations you may experience and how can you handle them simply, yet effectively?

• Not following the prescribed care plan (missing scheduled visits). This is a situation you must address early in the care program. Document every visit that was missed or cancelled so you have grounds for dismissal. Make it very clear early on the first session that success and progress of the care program is based on receiving the prescribed sessions. Bad patients will often blame the health professional for lack of progress.
• A patient making negative comments or feedback in online social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter. Always address these problems immediately. Setup a keyword search under Google to monitor your clinic name and your personal name if it appears anywhere online. When you subscribe to the keyword search, you are sent a notice anytime your names appear. In the modern day of instant communication, many dismayed, angry or disenchanted clients vent their frustrations online. A bad comment can go viral in no time. In my experience, addressing the issue directly with the client and resolving the situation often turns a bad patient into a good one. However, also be diligent in not letting your reputation be tarnished by slander and accusation. Resort to legal action if necessary.
• Unpaid balances and collections can be a nightmare for any business. So many people have intense comfort zones when it comes to money and confrontation. Malpractice lawsuits are most often filed against a healthcare professional for collections or payment disputes, so it is critical to have a system in place for controlled communication. Document any conversation with a client in written or spoken word. Leave a paper trail of communication. Try to resolve the situation amicably so everyone walks away satisfied. It is essential to have patients understand their responsibility for outstanding balances and insurance coverage. Don't assume they know what insurance covers in their individual plan. Have a staff member or yourself sit down and review the financial terms of the care program. Have the patient initial and date the document as proof of review.

How can you attract good patients? The ones who make going into the office a pleasurable experience? You can most certainly attract good patients into your practice by following some universal laws of success and ideal patient marketing strategies. The most effective way to ensure you get good patients is to get word of mouth referrals from existing good patients. Like attracts like. A successful word of mouth campaign is linked to happy and thrilled patients who received spectacular service and care. Deliver more than a client expects in service and level of care to stand out from the crowd. It's all about establishing relationships based on trust. Word of mouth marketing bridges that trust relationship so it is already established when you first meet a client. The potential new client trusts their friend or loved ones recommendation and so they automatically accept you into their sphere of comfort.

Community service and involvement via your clinic is a great way to find good patients. Getting to know people who have similar values and run in the same circles is a surefire way of finding good patients. It is a far cry from the roll of the dice you get from putting an ad in the paper or sending out special coupons in the mail. There is zero relationship established and no value factor for the client. You will typical attract price shoppers or location convenient service seekers with marketing campaigns like these, which ultimately takes your focus off the good patients.

Seek out the clients you want to work with via niche specific marketing. When you enjoy working with a certain patient demographic it makes the process so much easier. Find out everything you can about the where, what, when, why and how of your ideal patient. Reach out to them and focus your energy on that market. A niche can be a demographic, specific condition related or geographical. Attract into your life the types of good patients you want to help. It is easy to find your patient demographic by searching social media outlets. Search for blogs, meeting groups, Facebook groups and Twitter keywords for your ideal patient. Reach out and become involved with like-minded individuals. The most important word in Social Media marketing is "social."

The important thing to remember is why you became a Doctor of Chiropractic. Helping people live without pain and optimize health through the miracle of chiropractic. There will always be a bad patient no matter how many steps we take to prevent it because some people just like being miserable. However, it does not mean that we have to be miserable with them. Be proactive in designing the patient base you want to treat and the right flow for your clinic. Take back control of your clinic and your joy of chiropractic by living with true intent to heal, share, teach, empower and transform the lives of others. The universe rewards intent and good patients will find you.

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Click here for more information about Perry Nickelston, DC, FMS, SFMA.