CBP® Certainty
By Marc Swerdlick, D.C.
The Greek word Ethos is commonly used in speech
communication classes when referring to the credibility of the
presenter. A presenter is said to need two additional primary qualities
in order to effectively communicate; Logos, which refers to the rational
or logical appeal, and Pathos, which refers to the emotional appeal. It
doesn’t matter if you’re speaking to an individual or to a thousand
people in a banquet hall, all three components must be present in order
for the speaker to be effective and persuasive. In future issues of AJCC,
we’ll spend time discussing all three components of effective
presentation as a Doctor of Chiropractic. In this article, we’re going
to discuss Ethos (credibility).
While credibility is important in any doctor-patient relationship, it is
understandably a larger component in a cash practice. For the purposes
of this discussion, we will consider a cash practice and a
non-assignment practice to be one and the same. While some of you may be
unfamiliar with the difference between the two, realize that the
difference is primarily a matter of semantics. The hardcore cash
practice model doesn’t have anything to do with insurance whatsoever.
Typically, these doctors will charge a fee and will not furnish the
patient with any coding or documentation for reimbursement. A
non-assignment practice also charges a fee for service, however the
chiropractic office will customarily provide documentation for the
patient to submit to the insurance company so that whatever his or her
plan covers for chiropractic care is reimbursed directly to the patient
from the insurance provider. In the non-assignment model, the actual
money paid out of pocket by the patient will likely be the difference
between the fee charged by the chiropractor and what is covered by their
insurance. In both models, the financial agreement exists between the
patient and the chiropractic office.
The premise of Chiropractic Biophysics® technique is corrective care.
Since corrective care requires an earnest commitment of the patient,
communication between the doctor and patient needs to be effective in
order to establish the need for care beyond symptomatic relief. While
personality and a rational appeal are important characteristics of a DC,
there are numerous benefits for providing the patient with a credible
and indisputable case for corrective care.
To effectively establish credibility, put yourself in the mindset of an
attorney. If you were an attorney who was about to argue an important
case, you’d certainly want to go into court with more than one single
bit of evidence in your favor. In fact, you would probably want to
prepare yourself with so much evidence in your favor that the case could
be won even before entering the courtroom. In the days before the court
date, you and your legal team would compile evidence that supports your
case, as well as evidence that contradict the anticipated case that will
be made by your opponent. Thorough preparation will allow you to walk
into court with a great degree of confidence.
While a doctor-patient relationship isn’t exactly a legal case, the
techniques employed are one in the same. Greater credibility leads to
greater influence. A dynamic presenter can overcome some credibility
issues by appealing to the emotions of the patient. Coupling a dynamic
presenter with great credibility is an unbeatable combination. For those
that are not boiling over with personality but are very enthusiastic
about corrective chiropractic care, credibility is an excellent weapon
to have in one’s arsenal. Does this mean that we should characterize the
establishment of a doctor-patient relationship as a court battle or
preparation for war? No. But it should be understood that a patient that
commits to a longer than typical relationship with chiropractic
(especially corrective chiropractic care) may require evidence to
support this recommendation.
Each week, I receive calls from many of my CBP® colleagues with
questions specifically relating to the issue of credibility. Regardless
of their practice management affiliations, many DC’s become frustrated
when trying to attract new patients. The challenge becomes even greater
when establishing long-term relationships characteristic of corrective
care patients. Nevertheless, chiropractors will employ strategies
ranging from scripts to multiple reports of findings in order to explain
the need for extended care beyond symptomatic relief. While many of
these techniques prove successful, there is a weapon in your arsenal
that often goes over looked. This weapon is incredibly powerful, very
effective and is used everyday in almost every walk of life.
The weapon I am speaking of is RESEARCH. Now, I realize that the word
research is enough to put some to sleep. But the fact of the matter is
that research is an unmatchable persuasive tool. Why do people buy
certain automobiles, car seats and computers? Advertising has a lot to
do with their decision, but for the most important purchases the answer
is research. Research that supports a purchase is the greatest form of
credibility. Applying the same principle to your practice gives you a
powerful weapon. As a CBP® Doctor, you can only admire the quantity and
quality of the research supporting Chiropractic Biophysics.®
Research in chiropractic is important in supporting the profession,
building the doctor’s knowledge base and supporting an I.M.E. Research
can also be used as a fantastic practice-building tool. I’m not
suggesting that a patient will want to peruse the pages of JMPT or
Spine. What I’m talking about is the value of the research and what it
represents. My practice distinguishes itself as clearly being different
from other chiropractic offices in the area. We constantly make an
effort to educate the public about Vertebral Subluxation Complex and the
value of corrective care beyond symptomatic relief. Keeping this in
mind, it is during my consultation and report of findings that I present
the patient with a list of all the published research articles
supporting CBP®. Then I point to an assortment of large three-ring
binders with each page of every research article neatly protected by a
vinyl page protector. I briefly explain the value of peer-reviewed
research and the credibility of the scientific journals in which these
articles are published; journals like Spine, Clinical Biomechanics and
JMPT. This brief review of the extensive research supporting CBP® builds
a foundation of credibility, which serves as a springboard for the
remainder of the presentation. From a business point of view, research
makes a highly effective sales and marketing tool. Our patients are
educated and committed to their care in our office, which results in
better corrections and greater referrals.
CBP® Non-Profit has provided the funding for the research that we have
available to us, and the research that is currently in progress.
Research that incorporates great contributors like Dr. Rene Cailliet,
MD, Burt Holland, PhD and Tad Janik, PhD requires significant funding.
All chiropractic techniques have some kind of foundation, some less
scientific than others. As chiropractors practicing CBP®, the quantity
and quality of the research available allows us the privilege to justify
what we do. It is important that we continually support CBP® Non-Profit.
CBP® Doctors and DC’s affiliated with practice management organizations
that incorporate CBP® (or other corrective techniques derived from the
efforts of those at the heart of Chiropractic Biophysics®) need to
realize the endless value that is provided to us and our livelihoods
through the research and the efforts of CBP® Non-Profit.