Your Practice and Reporting: Why It Pays Off to Go the Extra Mile
PERSONAL INJURY
Bobby Barber
Jeff Sheerin
In a world where chiropractic is constantly under increasing scrutiny from mainstream medicine, now more than ever, growing your practice relies heavily upon sustaining a high quality of patient care, especially in the realm of personal injury. Furthermore, while nondiscrimination language in the Affordable Care Act and state Medicare programs are gradually working in favor of the chiropractic profession, it’s vital to go the extra mile with each patient if this trend is to continue in the coming years. Simply put, not only your practice, but also the future of chiropractic as a whole depends upon dexterity and thoroughness in eveiything from diagnostics to reporting.
You’re the expert
Every chiropractic facility has slightly different protocols for the initial visit, but the most successful practitioners will ask the patient to complete a fairly exhaustive personal injury form before treatment and exams begin. Even if the MD has already made a diagnosis, it’s vital for you as a back expert to perform your own diagnostics. Why should the MD’s findings determine your therapeutic courses of action?
Additionally, the details of the cause of the injury aie as much your concern as they aie the MD’s, so spare no expense when following a fact-finding protocol. Even the minute details of the accident will guide your diagnostics and make the process as efficient as possible, which reduces the likelihood of discounts from the adjuster.
Remember, you’re the expert, so take the time to review the radiology report. If the current images aren’t consistent with your findings, don’t hesitate to refer the patient to an imaging center in your network for further exams. Such steps aie the very substance of going the extra mile in patient care. You’ll not only make a more accurate diagnosis, but you’ll also help strengthen your referral network with imaging centers, which promotes practice growth.
Complete narrative reporting
It’s different for every doctor, but those with the most lucrative practices take no shortcuts in narratives. Not only does complete reporting prove your dexterity to the adjuster, but it also helps maximize the case value for the attorney, who, as we all know, is an integral part of your payout at settlement.
“It makes your job easier and takes the tedium out of preparing dictation and handwritten notes for the attorney. 5 5
Furthermore, up-to-date and compliant report-writing software is a must. It makes your job easier and takes the tedium out of preparing dictation and handwritten notes for the attorney. In addition to following standard SOAP notation, be sure to lay out eveiything in the final report. Your final report should show future ailments and an estimate of how much that care will cost.
Going the extra mile for the patient and your practice with patient finance
When working with personal injury patients, one of your very best practices as the doctor is to have the patient and the attorney sign the letter of protection (lien) and the promissory note before services ai e rendered. The promissory note and the letter of protection legally entitle you to payment, regardless of the outcome of the case.
The lien allows the patient to receive treatment at your facility while waiting for settlement. However, when your patient needs to go to one of your referred imaging centers, the burden of upfront costs for imaging can be an obstacle for your patient’s treatment. Such an obstacle is a golden opportunity for doctors like you to go the extra mile and refer your patient to a patient financing company.
A patient financing company will pay for diagnostics on the patient’s behalf, allowing the patient to receive any necessary imaging and be back in your office for treatment in a timely manner. Financing provides peace of mind for the patient while the case is being settled, and it allows you to provide maximum care when the patient needs it most. Helping the patient find a trusted source for financing is simply one of the best ways to help ensure the fastest recovery possible for the patient.
Anote about working with financing companies: they’re not all the same. You Tl want to refer your patient to a well-backed finance company that pays providers in a few short days. When a finance company takes more than a week to pay out, it is a sign that the company doesn’t have sufficient resources to provide maximum funding for your patient.
Additionally, the best finance companies to work with are those that offer free networking with attorneys and radiologists in your area. In short, you’ll want to align your interests with these companies so that you can build your practice and provide your patients with the highest level of care.
Conclusion
Now more than ever, the future of your practice and the chiropractic profession depends upon the highest level of patient care, beginning with your initial findings and complete reporting throughout the treatment period. By referring your patient to imaging centers in your area, you not only maximize the level of care for tlie patient, but you also help grow your practice by strengthening your referral network with radiologists. When aligning your interests with a trusted and well-backed patient finance company, you and your patient enjoy those same benefits twofold without having to depend upon the outcome of the settlement.
Bobby Barber is the Director of Sales for MedChex, LLC where he helps patients with personal injury claims receive medical care. Bobby also provides medical facilities with cash flow alternatives by purchasing medical lien receivables and establishing a reliable attorney network to increase referrals. Contact Bobby Barber at 704-323-7020 or [email protected].
.Jeffrey Sheerin is a medical and financial marketing consultant in the Charlotte, NC area.
