Five Things a CA Can Do to Increase Patient Retention
Holly Jensen
Patient retention is not only important for the health of the practice, but also for the health and wellness of the patient. Being a chiropractic assistant is much more than checking patients in and out, answering the phone, and scheduling appointments. A successful CA will also assist the doctor with keeping the patient under the course of care as it is outlined in the patient's treatment plan. In this article, I will share five powerful things a CA can do to help keep patients under care, which ultimately increases patient retention.
1. Understand the Benefits of Chiropractic:
Every CA should experience the new patient process with his or her doctor and be receiving chiropractic care and education on a regular basis. When a CA is under chiropractic care, he or she will be able to better communicate with patients and assist the doctor with keeping the patient on track for the course of care outlined by the doctor.
When a CA experiences the amazing benefits of chiropractic, he or she is more likely to be passionate, ask for patient referrals, confidently talk to patients about care, and be proud to have a role in the patient's health and wellness. I recommend when CAs go through the new patient process they experience everything a normal new patient would go through.
2. Automate the Way Payments Are Being Collected:
When one-time and recurring payments are automatically collected, the flow at the front desk is much easier to manage. Even better, when you remove situations where patients have to think about money each time they come into the office, it allows them to focus on how good they feel from the care they received. In addition, it’s very convenient for the patient who doesn’t have to stand in line at the front desk or worry about late payments, and it allows a patient to get in and out quickly.
Imagine using a recurring payment system that allows you to securely store the patient’s billing information on file so that you can process the payment and email a receipt to the patient. Patients love the convenience and you will too. Simply tell the patient, “Your total is $60. We will charge your card on file and email the receipt to you.”
3. Stay in Control of the Schedule:
During prime adjusting hours, it’s imperative the CA effectively manages the flow of traffic between doctor and patients. Patients who arrive on time for their scheduled appointment should always be seen first. The doctor is counting on the CA to ensure the patients are able to get in and out in a timely manner so the patient can get back to work, school, family, etc.
If patients call to cancel an appointment, the CA should know to tell the patient to reschedule the appointment—not cancel it. Only the doctor has the authorization to change the patient's treatment plan. If a patient calls to cancel an appointment, say, “Mary, I’m not authorized to change your treatment schedule, and it’s important that you come in. Will Tuesday at 9:00 a.m. or Thursday at 2:00 p.m. work for you?”
Patients should not leave without a future appointment. For best practices, get in the habit of keeping patients on a regular schedule. If the doctor needs to see Mary two times per week, set Mary’s appointments on a recurring schedule every Monday and Wednesday at 9:00 a.m.
Last, but definitely not least, make time to call every patient who is 15 minutes late for their scheduled appointment and get them in!
4. Celebrate Patient Successes:
When you make it a point to congratulate patients when they reach their health goals—50 visits, 100 visits, etc.—they feel as if they’re being cheered on and are more likely to stay for the entire course of care.
Celebrating milestones gives the patient a sense of accomplishment and pride. Whether you give the patient an award certificate for reaching their twentieth visit or a balloon and flowers on their hundredth visit, these celebrations will go a long way toward the patient feeling valued.
a Smiling and greeting patients by name when they come to the office goes a long way in making the patient feel welcomed. Building rapport goes much deeper than that, though. v
5.Build Rapport:
Smiling and greeting patients by name when they come to the office goes a long way in making the patient feel welcomed. Building rapport goes much deeper than that, though. When you treat people with integrity, love, and empathy and show a genuine interest in them, they tend to feel valued.
Delivering a consistent experience by phone and in person will help patients feel as if they’re in the right place. Having a good rapport with your patients will lead to a great relationship, respect, and referrals of their friends and family. In this day and age of online presence, it’s sure to help generate positive online reviews of their experiences in the office.
Just as the doctor has the ability to help more sick people get well through chiropractic care, the CA’s role is very important in helping patients stay the course of care. A diligent effort for any one of these things is well rewarded. Not only will increased patient retention result in higher collections and referrals, it will also help make people in our communities healthier and happier through chiropractic care.
Holly Jensen has served the chiropractic profession for more than 15 years as a CA and office manager to Dr. Miles Bodzin, founder and CEO of Cash Practice Systems. For the past decade, she has served as a speaker and Director of Operations for Cash Practice Systems where she has trained thousands of DCs and CAs to run cash-based practices. Cash Practice Systems offers web-based software for chiropractors to implement a four-step process resulting in increasedpatient retention. The Wellness Score, Cash Plan Calculator, Auto-Debit System, and Drip-Education Email Marketing System all work together to help free a doctor from insurance dependence. For more information, visit www. CashPractice.com. Holly may be contacted at 877-343-8950 or Holly@CashPractice. com.
