Are You Under-Diagnosing Out Of Fear?
In the past, you very well may have sacrificed your diagnosis based on what you thought patients might accept. Your behavior has been a product of building a plan based upon your value system, without consulting the patient. How fair is that to the patient??
If you are establishing desired end-results FIRST, it doesn’t mean they’ll always say yes. But when they say no, you can be assured that they aren’t saying no to YOU. To be sure you are putting the patients at the center of your diagnosis, be sure you’re taking these steps...
- Conduct a New Patient interview – Ask open-ended questions to find out why they came to your practice, what they want to accomplish (both today AND long-term), and ask permission to come up with a long term plan that will help them accomplish what they’ve shared.
- Invite them back for a no-charge Planning Visit - Instead of a complete exam and presenting solutions at the first visit, be sure you utilize the first visit for information-gathering ONLY, and invite them back for a no-charge planning visit.
- Fully utilize photos as a tool for the patient to self-diagnose and identify areas that are important to them.
- Remember who's in charge - Assure the patient that their input is driving the plan through patient-centered communication. them know that they are in charge of the pace in which they complete the treatment.
- Equip yourself to handle objections. Understanding that objections are an indicator that the patient is trying to figure out how to accomplish what they want is critical.
CHALLENGE: Don’t sacrifice your diagnosis for fear of what patients might say!