“I forgot”
“I don’t need chiropractic treatment anymore”
“I am fine now so why do I need to go.”
“I don’t like to do exercises?
“I don’t have time.”
Do these lines sound familiar? These are just some of the reasons patients give for their treatment non-adherence.
However, as a chiropractor, you know that patient adherence is essential for successful chiropractic treatment outcomes. So, what can you do to increase adherence?
Patient adherence is when the patient follows recommended treatment plans, including attending appointments, completing exercises, and following lifestyle recommendations. Poor adherence can result in less than optimal results, which can negatively impact patient satisfaction and your clinic’s revenue. Here are some strategies to improve patient adherence to chiropractic care.
1. Send Text & Email Reminders
Patients tend to forget their appointments. No-shows can affect patient care and negatively impact clinic productivity.
Studies have shown that text and email reminders improve appointment adherence (and sometimes, more reminders are more effective than fewer).
Consider using chiropractic software to send automated reminders to your patients. Chiropractic EHR software can help improve patient adherence by providing patients with automated reminders for appointments and follow-ups.
With zHealth chiro software, you can send 3 text reminders – 48-hour, 24-hour, and minutes before the appointment. zHealth also sends email appointment reminders and confirmations.
2. Establish Clear Treatment Goals
One of the primary reasons for poor patient adherence is a lack of clarity regarding treatment goals. Chiropractors should establish clear treatment goals that are communicated to patients at the start of treatment.
To ensure patients understand the treatment and plan, make use of your integrated chiropractic software system to email patients with educational resources and personalized communication that reinforces adherence. This way you can ensure that patients receive the support they need to stay on track with their treatment plans.
3. Provide Education and Resources
Patients’ beliefs and perceptions influence their adherence to chiropractic treatment. Data suggests that up to 70% of patients do not adhere to the exercises recommended by a chiropractor, despite seeking chiropractic treatment for their pain or injuries.
Even after visiting for the first time, many people don’t realize that visiting a chiropractor regularly can reduce their pharmaceutical costs by up to 85%. That’s why educating your patients about the benefits of chiropractic treatment and adhering to their treatment plan is important. Here are 3 ways to educate your patients:
EHR and PM software may overlap in some areas, but they have different primary functions. EHR software focuses on the clinical aspect of patient care, while PM software focuses on the administrative aspect of patient care.
EHR software is used by clinics to store and manage patient records, while PM software is used to manage the operational side of a chiropractic office.
a. Send Bulk Text Messages
Broadcasting short message service (SMS) texts via zHealth Bulk Texting feature, you can offer quick informative facts to keep patients engaged with your practice. If you host educational webinars on chiropractic care, you can send the webinar invitations to your entire patient list through zHealth Bulk SMS feature.
b. Send Personalized Emails
Broadcasting short message service (SMS) texts via zHealth Bulk Texting feature, you can offer quick informative facts to keep patients engaged with your practice. If you host educational webinars on chiropractic care, you can send the webinar invitations to your entire patient list through zHealth Bulk SMS feature.
c. Improve patient interaction
When you are interacting with patients during the treatment session, you are educating them. So you must spend more quality time with patients rather than writing your SOAP notes. zHealth offers customized SOAP templates and voice dictation technology to make writing SOAP notes faster. You can dictate notes and cut down the time you spend on notes.
4. Communicate Regularly & Build Trust
Regular communication helps build trust between patients and chiropractors and helps keep patients motivated throughout the treatment process. Automate the patient communication process with patient communication software integrated into your chiropractic practice management system.
For instance, zHealth chiropractic software has 2-way text messaging integrated into it. You can send 2-way text messages right from your desktop. You can provide video consultations through our Telehealth software. If patients have not visited your practice for a while, zHealth Patient Plus can send recall reminders automatically. After the appointment, you can send automated feedback requests to patients.
5. Use Positive Reinforcement
Finally, using positive reinforcement can also improve patient adherence. Positive reinforcement involves providing patients with positive feedback for adhering to treatment plans. This feedback can be in the form of verbal praise or written feedback. By using positive reinforcement, chiropractors can motivate patients to continue adhering to treatment plans and achieve better treatment outcomes.
Conclusion
Improving patient adherence to chiropractic treatment is essential for successful outcomes. By sending appointment reminders, establishing clear treatment goals, providing education and resources, using chiropractic software, sending personalizing emails, communicating regularly, and using positive reinforcement, chiropractors can improve patient adherence and achieve better treatment outcomes.
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