Issue 2 - February 2005

How MD referrals help build your practice
By Louis Sportelli, DC

A patient came into my office many years ago. He had been to his family physician and a number of other specialists before finally coming in to see me. He was walking with a peculiar gait and he complained that his lower back and hip hurt.

After examining and x-raying him, I knew he had bilateral degenerative joint disease of the hips. He needed a bilateral hip replacement. I looked at him and said, “You’re in the wrong office, George. You really need to be in an orthopedic office and have your hips replaced.”

So I picked up the phone, called an orthopedist I knew and told him I had a patient who needed a bilateral hip replacement. I set up an appointment for the patient right then. After I made the appointment, I showed him a film of a patient who had undergone hip replacements and talked over the procedure with him. I informed him that this was a reasonably successful surgical procedure. It was not without complications, but the benefits outweighed the risks. He would be able to walk better and his pain, for the most part, would be reduced.

I followed up with the orthopedist to make sure the patient actually kept his appointment. Armed with that information, I called the patient the evening after his orthopedic visit and reviewed the suggestions made by the orthopedic surgeon. The patient was very happy with the follow-through and was scheduled for surgery.

Three months later the patient came back into my office happy as a clam, walking and in no more pain. His hips had been replaced.

That man was a “walking referral” for me. He sent more patients into my office than any of my regular patients ever did. Yet I never treated him. I never did anything. All I did was find the problem and follow up on the care.

But it’s human nature to credit the doctor who finds the problem — not the one who corrects it, which is why the best patient I ever had was the one I never treated. How can a patient you “never treat” benefit your practice?

Most chiropractors will encounter a case similar to the one above — or will come across the need to refer a patient for another reason — at some point in their careers. So, it’s important to begin building a referral network long before you refer your first patient. This approach has three major benefits:

1. As seen in the example, even a patient you never treat can be a tremendous source of patient referrals to you.

2. It’s extremely helpful to the comprehensive clinical healthcare of your patients to be able to refer your patients to doctors of various specialties. Your relationship with any doctor you have a referral relationship with should be one of mutual trust.

3. The referral process goes both ways, meaning that MDs likely will begin referring patients to you. This can be a potentially excellent source of growth for your practice.

GETTING STARTED

The best way to begin building a referral network is by starting at square one: developing good intake forms.

Properly designed intake forms provide you with permission to contact the medical doctor. And once you have the patient’s permission, you can send a short note to the doctor, giving your insights about the patient’s condition, from the chiropractic point of view. In your note, you can indicate you are treating a mutual patient and would like to coordinate the care with the MD.

Sharing information with the medical doctor opens up an initial point of connection with the doctor that can be expanded as you develop the referral relationship with the MD. For example: You can start networking with the physician through a “getting acquainted” breakfast or luncheon.

OVERCOMING MD RESISTANCE

Though the process of developing and nurturing MD relationships sounds easy in theory, it can be difficult. In some cases, you’ll encounter medical doctors who do not communicate back with you or who harbor negative views regarding chiropractic.

In these cases, you’ll have to put time, energy and commitment into educating the MD with research-based evidence. Often, you’ll be able to demystify the chiropractic profession and turn a hostile MD into an advocate.

As with any worthwhile relationship, you’ll find your results will be in direct proportion to your dedication and zeal. And, once you have established and nurtured relationships with a cross-section of MDs from various specialties, the positive results will last for decades.