“Can Your Office Help Me With...?”
Confidently Verbalizing with Potential Patients Regarding Specific Complaints
Laurie Mueller
The First Impression
As we know, CAs are the very first contact that most patients have at the office. Most often, this occurs via telephone when patients are trying to find the "right place" to make an appointment. Obviously, CAs should be welcoming and friendly. They should also be professional. Patients want to feel as if they are in a caring office that is also competent on every level.
This article is about those initial potential-patient encounters that occur on the telephone when patients start asking if the office can "treat certain conditions." The answer given can make or break a potential patient's decision to come to your doctor for care. CAs should be equipped to verbalize a simple, concise answer when this occurs, and certainly not ever feel as if they were caught off-guard.
“What most patients really want to hear, and need to hear in order to feel confident booking an appointment, is that the office that they are calling has had experience with a certain issue or condition.33
The Confident and Truthful Answer
Sometimes it feels as if patients want us to be psychics about their conditions, or that they want a promise of full recovery over the phone. Obviously, we can't make those promises. What most patients really want to hear, and need to hear in order to feel confident booking an appointment, is that the office that they are calling has had experience with a certain issue or condition, and that the office has
had success in the past with other patients with similar issues.
We are going to look at a few examples of what type of verbiage to use in just a moment, but first, let's talk about semantics.
Semantics
It is very important to choose your words wisely when communicating. Chiropractic practice laws vary by state, and you certainly want to adhere to those. There are also conditions (for example, rheumatoid arthritis) that require monitoring by a specialty physician who can also look at medications. In such a case, chiropractic care can certainly be of benefit, and so might nutritional considerations if the DC works in that realm. However, it would not be appropriate to imply that the DC office is the only caregiver needed.
We also want to avoid using terms such as "cure," which can imply a full recovery, and that is something we can never promise. The term "treat" should also be used with care. DCs certainly "treat" things like low back pain, but some states will have an issue if offices claim to treat more organic problems, such as heart disease or diabetes. Will some patients who are cared for in the chiropractic office have these
i6We also wont to ovoid using terms such os "tcure which con imply o full recovery' ond that is something we con never promise.”
conditions? Of course! But we do not claim to "treat" those conditions. Other terms such as "manage" or "monitor" might be better choices across the board.
Always remember that you are an assistant, and you never need to feel pressured to give an answer that you don't feel equipped to give. You can always ask the doctor and call the patient back, or have the doctor call the patient back. In general, though, CAs should be able to give a relatively simple and concise answer to most patient inquiries. So let's look at a few example questions and answers:
Does your office treat low back pain/herniated discs?
"Dr. X sees a variety of patients with low back issues including sprain/strain and disc herniations. Patients can expect the doctor to do a full analysis of the area, provide an explanation of the suspected diagnosis, and propose a management plan. Our office has had a great success rate with a large number of low back patients, and the doctor also works with specialists in the area if he/she feels the need to refer a case out."
Note: If your office has special equipment for disc patients, for example, that is also a reassuring fact you could add here. "Our office also has a physiotherapy suite on site," or, "Our office utilizes the new spinal decompression technology." Also note the use of the underlined words for clean semantics (issues was used instead of conditions, and management was used instead of treatment).
Will I have to have X-rays/MRI?
"That will be up to the doctor after he/she has a chance to evaluate your case. If you have a history of trauma (such as a fall or car accident), radiating pain, or other symptoms, the doctor may very well want to review films prior to adjusting. If you have already had X-rays taken for this issue, you certainly could have copies sent to our office to see if our doctor could use those as well.
Can chiropractic keep me out of surgery for my disc problem?
"Getting patients out of pain and avoiding invasive procedures is certainly a primary goal for disc patients, and the doctor monitors the progress of the disc closely. Many patients have avoided surgery with a more conservative care approach, but certainly, if the doctor finds that the extent of the disc bulge warrants it, he/she will refer you out."
Notes: Every case is different and you aren't promising anything, but you are letting the patient know he or she is in good hands and will be monitored closely. In the case of a bulge that sequesters (breaks off), it is considered a medical emergency because the debris can land on the nerve plexus and affect bowel and bladder function. If a patient mentions a loss of bowel and/or bladder control, he or she should go to the ER and not your office!
Does your office treat migraines?
"Our office has a variety of patients with different types of headaches, and we have found that chiropractic care has helped provide relief for many of them."
Notes: Adjustments in the neck and utilizing physiotherapy for muscle relaxation may be two techniques used. Many DCs will also look at stress reduction and nutrition to see if a dietary factor is at play with headaches (gluten, dairy, artificial sweeteners, or additives like MSG can all be culprits). We are also saying that care has helped provide relief rather than saying cure or treat.
Does your office treat fibromyalgia?
"Our office has a variety of patients with fibromyalgia that find chiropractic care helpful. Along with adjusting, the doctor may also utilize our physiotherapy suite to help with pain points and may also look at your nutritional status."
Notes: Stay clear from saying that your office is not "treating" fibromyalgia, and instead say that your office is helping to manage some of the symptoms. If your DC does not consult with nutrition, just leave that part out. Any answer should be customized to your specific office.
Does your office treat purple people-eaters?
"As an assistant in the office, I have not heard of
that particular condition, and I'll need to consult with the doctor about his/her experience with that. Can I please take your name and number to call you back or have the doctor call you back?"
Notes: This is just an example of a situation when you might not knowthe answer. And that is OK! Show the patient that you are professional and competently following-up on his or her need.
Education Fosters Understanding
An understanding of clinical applicability helps all health-office employees better communicate with patients and provide care more safely. Online training programs in particular make high-quality training affordable and convenient and can be taken any time of day. At www.CCCAonline.com, learners can engage in a streamlined 24-hour training program that meets or exceeds FCLB guidelines in every area of study and fulfill the training requirements needed for the national examination!
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Laurie Mueller, BA, DC, CFMP, served in private practice in San Diego, California. She was the postgraduate director at Palmer College from 2000 to 2010; served as the ACC postgraduate subcommittee chair for six years; peer-reviewed for the Research Agenda Conference; and wrote the informal role determination study that aided in the development of FCLB ’s guidelines for chiropractic assistants. Dr. Mueller currently works as a private eLearning consultant with a focus on healthcare topics and functional medicine through her company, Impact Writing Solutions, and its subsidiary, CCCAonline.com. She is a clinician, an educator, and an expert in online educational pedagogy.
