Information technology is an ever-changing field and a complex area that is likely intimidating to the average practitioner.  However, help is available from individuals who can ensure your practice is protected. Of the many lessons I have learned in my career, one of the most important has been to safeguard information at all times.  I am grateful for the counsel of experts who have helped us identify and implement strategies that keep our information protected, and I urge every chiropractor to engage this kind of expertise as well.

A few lessons I have learned:

On a broad level, in order to avoid an IT disaster, if a practice faces an electrical shut-down, a power surge, or breach to the information system, a “mirror” server, which replicates all the files on the current server and creates an exact match of those files, is a key investment.  And don’t limit your protection efforts to computer files alone. For example, we discovered the importance of having a lightning protector on all incoming phone lines, as those lines are the lifeblood of your practice’s technological connection to the outside world.  Phoenix and many other cities are well-known for lightning storms during certain times of year, and walking into an office where the staff is staring at four computers that have been literally fried from a lightning strike is not something I want to repeat.

We have worked diligently to upgrade our information systems on a continuing basis, to ensure that our operation runs smoothly and efficiently.  One of our best decisions was to develop a comprehensive information recovery plan, including implementing processes and programs that protect our information better than ever before.

Having a robust plan and solid processes in place to protect information is one of the most important investments a chiropractor can make.  Don’t wait for something to happen – take action now to protect your records. I assure you the investment will pay dividends well into the future.

As an advocate of education, I believed we would easily reach a recommendation in support of continuing education. What better way to serve our patients and our profession than to commit to constant improvement through learning? However, I underestimated the views of many chiropractors, including one who was an elected official, who did not believe in the necessity of this practice and did not endorse continuing education as a method for improving patient care.  Thankfully, during one of many discussions on the topic at the Legislature, the chairwoman of the committee was quick to point out to the dissenters that even the state’s real estate agents and cosmetologists were required to complete continuing education credits in order to maintain their licenses.  After a healthy debate, those in favor of mandating continuing education prevailed, with a vote of eight to one. That vote allowed the issue of continuing education to move from committee to the full legislature, where it passed unanimously. From there forward, continuing education became a requirement for chiropractic licensing in the state of Arizona, as it is in many states across the nation.

The debate around continuing education has drawn much fervor over the course of my 46 years in chiropractic, and I have seen education take on various forms. But as our industry has become more standardized, so have our continuing education resources. Back in 1918, medicine was often taught by passing down ideas and theories verbally, with no consistency from program to program. In recent years, we have established much stronger and more dependable methods of teaching.  For example, we have moved away from technique instructors passing information via “word of mouth” to hosting formal seminars and conferences, accredited through chiropractic colleges, to ensure that teachings are reliable.  We have also benefited from advancements in today’s electronic world, where we can transfer information from chiropractor to chiropractor in a consistent manner through the use of DVDs and the Internet.   

Though we reap the benefits of the electronic age on a regular basis, it is important to note that the value of meeting face-to-face in a classroom, seminar or conference setting remains unparalleled.  In my view, these interactions, a cornerstone of the most effective continuing education programs, truly elevate chiropractors to higher levels of professionalism, knowledge and skill.  Long before continuing education was mandated in many states, I remember being a new practitioner in rural Minnesota, and a veritable sponge for information that would help me become the best clinician possible.  Our state association sponsored regular meetings in each district, and then annually all members came together at one convention. The participants enjoyed great fellowship at these meetings, a key to our success as a group.  The older doctors served as mentors to us younger practitioners, while the younger group brought natural enthusiasm to projects thought to benefit all doctors in their areas.  We spent time getting to know each other, learning from one another, and developing positive and lasting relationships. 

These same benefits now translate to the courses, seminars and conferences where we learn the latest in chiropractic research, tips on how to better manage our practices, details on what changes to the profession are on the horizon, and so much more.  With continuing education, we not only become better clinicians, we enjoy better relationships with our peers.  Our colleagues become our sounding boards, our mentors, our motivators, and our reason for striving for ongoing improvement in chiropractic.  And that’s a lesson from which we all can benefit.

http://www.chiroeco.com/chiropractic/news/9749/1374/Marrying-research-with-chiropractic/

Over the course of my 40-plus years in the profession, I have noted that traditional media is often skeptical of chiropractic, and at times I have been personally impacted by media coverage similar to the aforementioned references. Conversely, and to chiropractic’s benefit, the audience attracted to traditional media may not be representative of our own constituents – the doctors and patients who are loyal to chiropractic as a means of effective treatment.  Such observations have forced me and my colleagues to find new and creative ways to introduce the value of our work to the masses.

Enter the Internet.  One of the most valuable mass communications resources ever developed, the Internet is cost-effective and trafficked by millions of people around the world.  The Internet also provides an opportunity to customize content, and allows individuals to submit their own opinions and ideas through blogging, social networking, and other communication tools. Promotion in more traditional media channels like television, radio or print is often cost-prohibitive to the chiropractic profession and certainly to the individual practitioner. 

In my clinic and related educational endeavors, our use of the Internet began small, with a basic website and an online referral section provided exclusively to a network of doctors who had completed a certain level of training and education on our instrument-based chiropractic technique.  These doctors were allowed to promote their practices in the referral section on our website, as a benefit for achieving a Proficiency Rating from our organization. 

To date, we have attracted hundreds of doctors who promote their services on www.activator.com through our online referral pages and our classified ads. We have introduced the only web-based seminar dedicated to the Activator Method Chiropractic Technique, which provides doctors with flexibility and convenience as they seek to complete their license renewal credits and learn the world’s most popular instrument adjusting technique. We utilize search engine marketing to promote the Activator Health Center, and have received numerous patient referrals as a result.  The Internet is building our business and the chiropractic profession every day. I so believe in its power that we are even re-launching our website this summer, to provide enhanced search functionality and stronger content for both patients and doctors.

I will always appreciate the coverage chiropractic receives through traditional media channels because positive or negative, awareness is elevated. However, I will no longer be frustrated by the misperceptions often included in the reporting.  Through the Internet, I am confident we have the best tools to spread the word faster and more accurately than ever before.

In recent years, some have been brave enough to even consider discussing the subject openly.  And then, others in editorial circles have been asking about which instrument adjusting technique is most effective, and if instrument adjusting is as effective as diversified.  The time has come for me to weigh in on this topic.

I’m constantly asked to advise on what technique and what instrument are best. I’m careful to make recommendations only where I can cite research – I believe in findings over feelings. My stock answer is that most adjusting techniques have no clinical trials to prove their efficacy, so I can’t answer the question beyond indicating that the mechanical force, manually assisted technique is the only instrument adjusting technique supported by clinical trials that prove its effectiveness.  Now, if you asked me if the Cox technique works, I can go to the literature and show a series of case studies that suggests it works quite well on disc cases.  As far as I’m concerned, research is king when determining what works best for a patient’s specific needs.

And to address the comparison between instrument adjusting and diversified technique, two studies have been conducted, one on the neck and the other on the low back. The neck study compared the mechanical force, manually assisted technique to a diversified rotary break technique, conducted by Woods, et al and published in JMPT Volume 24 Number 4 May 2001.  Woods’ conclusion was that both techniques have beneficial effects with reducing pain and disability and improving cervical range of motion.

The other study was a randomized controlled clinical trial by Hugh Gemmell which compared a mechanical force, manually assisted adjustment to a Meric adjustment on patients with acute low back pain.  His conclusion was that there was no advantage of one procedure over the other for the reduction of pain.  This was published in JMPT Volume 18 Number 7 September 1995.

With just two studies that I could find on this topic, we simply do not have enough existing literature to determine which technique is best for a given condition.  I want to continue challenging our profession to engage in ongoing research so we can determine, with clarity, the best and most efficacious options to help our patients.  I know the substantial inventory of research published on mechanical force, manually assisted technique has given doctors great confidence in its use, but only with continued research on all techniques will we be able to give doctors and patients that same confidence across the board.  For now, I’ll stick with the literature to determine what’s best for my patients…

- Dr. Arlan W. Fuhr, DC

With today’s technology, sustaining contact with patients is much easier and far more cost-efficient. For example, I went to my dentist last month, prompted to make the appointment after receiving an email reminder that it was time to schedule my semi-annual visit. What a convenient and simple reminder for me, the patient, and a virtual guarantee that I would be a returning client for the dentist. In our chiropractic office, we manage an email program that enables us to connect with our patients on a consistent basis. We know through research that one of the first activities of the day for most people is checking email, and by communicating via email, we know they think about us first. Email outreach yields other benefits, as our chiropractic assistants no longer have to spend their days making the dreaded reminder calls, and the use of technology reinforces to our patients that we are an up-to-date and savvy operation.

Successful “Out House” marketing efforts also involve doctors becoming heavily involved in their communities. Participation can take a variety of forms and does not automatically require membership in multiple networking groups.  In fact, I have a friend who never joined a service club or networking organization.  Rather, he simply contacted all the service clubs in his large metropolitan area and volunteered to speak at one of their meetings, often as a substitute in case of last-minute cancellations.  By offering this service free of charge, this person spoke at over 40 meetings in one year. These clubs knew they could count on him to help out, and he formed close relationships with numerous individuals as a result. The assistance he provided made him a trusted ally and thus led to increased patient volume for his practice.

The most effective tenet to follow in “Out House” marketing is simply being prepared to respond.  Years ago, my wife gave me a wallet that I still carry today.  The wallet has space for about ten business cards, and I always check to make sure my inventory is full. You never know where your day will take you, and who you might meet along the way.  I have referred at least one new patient a week to our Phoenix office by having business cards on hand.  Whether on an airplane, at a restaurant waiting for a table, or in line at the grocery store, you may strike up a conversation with someone who could benefit from a visit to your clinic. To grow your practice, you must always be thinking about how you can help people heal, not just when they are visiting your office, but in any social environment.

I hope the advice and anecdotal evidence I have shared regarding marketing strategies helps you maintain or develop a thriving, robust practice.  And though some things never change, I hope my words inspire and motivate you to take advantage of these constants as you strive for continual improvement in your practice and your life.

In many of those lectures, I imparted information about what we were doing successfully in our daily practice, to achieve status as one of the most respected and productive practices of its day.  Often, my lectures focused on the marketing strategy for our Minnesota-based operation: We divided our marketing efforts into two categories, “In House” and “Out House” (a perfect title for rural Minnesota, eh?!).  And the philosophies that held true then are still relevant today.

First, let’s discuss “In House,” or referral marketing. I am confident that any doctor of chiropractic with practice management experience would agree with me that upwards of 80 percent of new patients are introduced to a practice through existing patient referrals. 

Clearly, I recognize that certain patients have a special talent and passion for referring their friends, family members and colleagues, and I call them “Chiropractic Missionaries.”  I did not fully appreciate their personality type until I read a popular strategic management book titled The Tipping Point. In that text, the author refers to this personality type as a Connector.  Connectors are individuals who are well-known throughout their community. They are active in reaching out to their personal and professional networks to refer (or connect) people to services or initiatives in which they believe. 

I am fortunate to benefit from the efforts of a Connector who visits our clinic in Phoenix; not only will this person refer a patient to us, he will literally put that person in a car and bring him or her directly to our office. I have even known him to pay for the new patient’s first adjustment, as evidence of his endorsement. This is “In House” marketing at its zenith.

More on “Out House” marketing later…

Among the many findings presented during the conference, one of the most notable hailed from presenter Dr. Georges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP, FACEP(E), executive director of the American Public Health Association, who shared valuable data on the factors causing premature death:  50 percent of premature deaths are attributed to individual behaviors, 20 percent to genetics, 20 percent to the environment, and 10 percent to inadequate healthcare. Activator Methods shares the views of Dr. Benjamin and other practitioners that research is critical to effective care, and continues to engage in clinical trials, development of case studies and other research efforts.

The country music legend was first treated by Dr. Fuhr two years ago, and has continued to seek out Activator doctors for his chiropractic care while on tour. Recently, Mr. Haggard was scheduled to perform at Pechanga Casino in Temecula, Calif. and needed an adjustment before going on stage. His manager searched the www.activator.com Doctor Referral Network and found Derek Shuman, an Advanced Proficiency Rated doctor based in nearby Hemet. Dr. Shuman brought instant relief to Mr. Haggard, preparing him to take the stage for another great performance. Mr. Haggard’s team so appreciated Dr. Shuman’s help, they even gave him all-access backstage passes to hang out with the band after the concert! As Dr. Shuman says, “This proves the website works better than expected!”