7 Proven Strategies to Boost Patient Engagement in Chiropractic Care
Welcome to the world of patient engagement, where patients learn that the magic doesn't happen just by walking through your office door for a quick tune-up! As chiropractors, we know that true recovery is a team effort, and it's high time our patients understood that, too. Let's explore how we can empower our patients to become active participants in their own recovery.
Significant research has shown that patient engagement ignites awareness and understanding, crucially enhancing factors that ensure the future success of both patients and providers in an outcomes-based healthcare model:
Improved clinical outcomes (1-3)
Improved patient satisfaction (1,4)
Improved patient behaviors (1-3)
Improved compliance (5,6)
Improved provider productivity (1)
Lower healthcare costs (7)
This blog will review seven simple ways to substantially boost patient engagement.
1. Deliver Chiropractic Patient Education
Patients need to clearly understand their problem and your treatment plan. Patients presenting with new problems want to know four things:
What’s wrong
What can be done to solve it
How long will it take
How much will it cost
Providing this chiropractic report of findings both verbally and in writing ensures patients remember it and can share it accurately with their families. Mutual understanding is the foundation for patient compliance and clinical outcomes.
💡 Deeper Dive: ChiroUp subscribers can streamline this process by automatically sending patients a detailed condition report, which addresses all these key points and fosters greater patient engagement and understanding.
2. Prescribe Chiropractic Exercises with Compliance
According to our survey of the 6 Most Frustrating Patients, the patient who won’t even consider performing their exercises is tied for the top spot. Check out this video that showcases just how frustrating this type of patient can be…🙃
Unfortunately, this isn’t just frustrating for you; it’s also impacting the patient. Multiple studies have confirmed that clinical outcomes improve when patients understand their exercises and adhere to your recommendations. (8-13)
💡 Deeper Dive: Luckily for ChiroUp subscribers, their patients have access to our online portal, HealthCom, which makes it easier than ever for patients to comply with your care plan recommendations.
To further promote the use of the HealthCom app in your office, check out this HealthCom Log In Card and Poster, all found in the Forms Library.
3. Show Patients That You Care in Tangible Ways
The first step in engaging your patients is to listen carefully during the consultation. Take the time to understand their concerns, then repeat back a synopsis of what they told you. This not only proves that you listened, but it also builds trust and shows that you genuinely care about their issues.
Want to review how to relay a new patient history synopsis that will get people talking about how you listen? Watch this ChiroUp Defining Moments video.
Another impactful moment is to call them the evening after their first treatment to see how they feel. This simple gesture leaves a lasting impression, reinforcing your commitment to their recovery and fostering a stronger patient-provider relationship.
💡 Deeper Dive: Speaking of patient-provider relationships, ChiroUp subscribers can download and share our NEW Patient Expectations Handout in the Forms Library. This guide helps foster collaboration, clarify expectations, and improve treatment outcomes.
4. Get Patients Excited About Care
“A satisfied patient returns, but an excited patient refers”
The ChiroUp Clinical Outcomes and Patient Satisfaction Synopsis (COPS) shows that clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction are intimately related. Our analysis of more than 630,000 cases shows chiropractic patients who achieve good clinical outcomes have a 97% likelihood to refer others.
Encouraging patients to share their excitement through online reviews creates a powerful snowball effect. Positive reviews boost your online presence and social proof, attracting new patients who trust the experiences of others. This influx of new business strengthens your practice’s reputation and drives growth.
So make it a habit to ask satisfied patients for reviews—it’s a simple yet effective way to expand your practice.
💡 Deeper Dive: ChiroUp subscribers can leverage our post-care survey, automatically sent to patients 30 days after prescribing a condition report. This ensures you gather valuable feedback and seize the opportunity to amplify referrals and enhance your online presence.
5. Educate Your Patients Beyond Their Personal Experience
How often do you hear a patient mention they just finished a physical therapy plan for their tennis elbow or rotator cuff issue because they didn't know you could treat it? It's frustrating, right?
Despite seeing you multiple times for neck or lower back problems, they weren't aware you offered effective solutions for issues beyond the spine. To prevent this from happening, ChiroUp has a couple of tools that can help educate your patients about the full range of services you provide.
💡 Deeper Dive: To further educate your patients, ChiroUp subscribers can download fully customizable Rack Cards covering 18 different conditions and a NEW waiting room video, all available in the Forms Library!
6. Maintain an Ongoing Connection
How often do you see a new patient who tells you they saw their former chiropractor for severe low back pain that shot down their legs and caused foot drop, and miraculously, after just one treatment, they were healed? You might wonder, why aren't they going back to that chiropractor?
The answer is simple: that chiropractor didn't maintain an ongoing relationship and was ultimately forgotten. Don't let this happen in your office. Consistent follow-ups and sustained patient engagement are key to building lasting relationships and ensuring your patients think of you first for their continued care.
💡 Deeper Dive: ChiroUp Plus & Premium subscribers have access to monthly patient chiropractic newsletters and automated chiropractic social media posts to help them maintain those relationships seamlessly!
7. Re-Engage Inactive Patients
A chiropractic patient reactivation campaign is a potent tool to re-engage patients who might have dropped out of care. Reaching out to existing patients requires much less effort than attracting new ones, as they are already familiar with your work and the benefits of your treatment. A simple reminder at the right moment can turn thoughts into new business.
Two primary strategies include recalls, which involve a phone call followed by an email or letter to patients who have missed a recent appointment, and reactivations, which are marketing communications aimed at prior patients who haven't visited your office recently. Here are five essential steps for a successful reactivation campaign:
Choose the format for your re-activation message, i.e., email, letter, or postcard. The most successful campaigns provide a motivating message and one clear call to action.
Choose your mailing dates carefully. Marketing should not strain to “fill up the lows” but rather to “pump up the highs” since “highs” represent the natural “buying seasons.” So, avoid holidays and vacation seasons.
Develop a list of potential reactivations—i.e., those who have not visited your office in the prior three months but have within the past three years. (Patients who have not visited for three-plus years are less likely to reactivate.) Most EHRs can develop this spreadsheet in seconds.
Don’t try to reactivate an exhaustive list all at once. Limit each batch to a manageable number of patients- usually 100-200, but no more than your staff can call within two weeks. Consider starting with your most recently dropped patients first.
Follow up with a phone call after sending the email or card to increase conversion DRAMATICALLY! Ask your friendliest staff member to call a set number of patients daily to follow up. (If this is not your receptionist, then someone’s in the wrong seat.)
By carefully planning and executing recall and reactivation strategies, you can effectively reconnect with inactive patients, filling your appointment book and ensuring they don't slip through the cracks. Consistent follow-ups and personalized communications will demonstrate your ongoing commitment to their health, making a lasting impression and fostering a stronger patient-provider relationship.
💡Deeper Dive: ChiroUp subscribers can check out this Reactivation Campaign, which includes a step-by-step guide and templates to re-engage those inactive patients!
“Engaged patients can improve health outcomes
and transform health care.” (A)
In conclusion, embracing patient education is not just a strategy but a commitment to fostering a deeper connection with your patients. By taking that extra step to engage and educate, you empower patients to take an active role in their recovery, ensuring better clinical outcomes, higher satisfaction, and stronger relationships.
Not a ChiroUp Subscriber? Check out ChiroUp today and start transforming your patient interactions for the better.
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