February 2002

Susan Hoy’s TEAM TIPS
Back to Basics: Does Your Practice Need Re-Evaluation?

There are two times a year when most doctors tend to re-evaluate their practices: at the beginning of a new year, and any time when the office seems to be lagging in new patient recruitment and/or retention.

This is the ideal time to review your procedures and practice plan to make sure everything is being followed the way it should be.

Here are some areas you and your staff can evaluate:

• Are we following our written procedures and practice plan, or are we sliding back into “old habits?”

• Are we creating a confident, caring atmosphere?

• Are we focusing on our patients’ needs?

• Are we focusing on patient follow-through?

• Is the Report of Findings (ROF) being given effectively?

• Are we all projecting a positive attitude and enthusiasm about chiropractic?

• Is our practice energized and do we pass on that positive energy to patients?

• Are we asking patients if they need any ancillary products, such as orthotics, supplements, pillows, braces, etc.?

• Are we calling missed appointments?

• Are we calling or writing patients to thank them for referrals?

• Are we calling patients who are in pain?

• Are we paying attention to our statistics?

• Are we going over all of our new patients and recalls at staff meetings?

• Are we sending personalized notes and recall letters on a regular basis?

• Are we educating our patients properly?

• Are we thinking about new patients and actively seeking referrals?

• Are we doing re-evaluations and making recommendations?

• Are those “special touches” in place?

It would be a good idea to select one or more of these topics per week to discuss at your staff meetings. We’ll address some of these areas in more detail in future columns.

Ms. Hoy speaks to chiropractic team members throughout the country and is an award-winning team trainer and consultant. She is the author of several books and a team-training manual. She writes a newsletter called “Team Work,” which focuses on chiropractic staff issues. Ms. Hoy served as office manager of Snyman Chiropractic Group in Center City, Philadelphia, for 11 years. She can be reached at 215-674-0130, or check out her website at www.beefitup.net.