You’re busy, you have a schedule, and life’s stressful and hectic.
So are you’re patients or clients.
You don’t want to sit around a doctors waiting room more than you have to.
Neither do they!
In reality this happens all the time.
We demand our patients turn up…on time however, we’re not prepared to demand this of ourselves and our practices. Why?
Now I know what you’re thinking. We’re health professionals who can’t control the consultative process.
We need to focus on our patients and so the consultation can be unpredictable.
We allocate time however, we need to give the utmost best to every patient so basically, sorry, too bad. If you run late your next patient knows they will get the same care and attention.
BULLSHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
For the most part, with very few exceptions, this is purely ego driven…arrogance.
Let me put it this way. You are a professional. You should have absolute command of the consultation and direct your patients accordingly. If you have a clear treatment plan, are organized, provide clear directives, you should be able to plan each visit within your allocated time and defer the patient to their next visit if the consultation goes over time.
The only exceptions in my view, is an emergency or a sudden upset in the room. In these cases you are still in control. You communicate with reception, reception communicate with your next patients, and patients may be shuffled, or rescheduled.
No matter what, you are always in control.
Let me talk from your reception perspective.
Your reception is the engine room, they are the gate way, the turn style for your patient flow.
They are also the target for frustrated, impatient patients who are waiting too long.
So if they don’t know what’s going with you in the room, i.e. you’re not communicating and managing this ‘PROFESSIONALLY’, it soon becomes a vote of NO-CONFIDENCE.
Inevitably your reception start to expect that you will run late which means they are less inclined to book a last minute patient in. Your fellow practitioners are the same. They may want to refer a patient on the same day but hesitate because they don’t trust that you will available ON TIME!
Ultimately this leads to a ‘moving away’ energy or flow where patients will stop booking in. It’s starts consciously then becomes unconscious.
So do yourself a favor, do your patients a favor and do your reception and colleagues a favor and be on time.
There is great power in intentionality.
Never under-estimate the message being on time sends to your patients!
About the Author:
Dr. Andrew Arnold (Chiropractor) is the ‘Practice Leverage Expert’; Principal Chiropractor and owner, Cranbourne Family Chiropractic and Wellness Centre; Accredited Business Coach; Founder, Million Dollar Wellness Practice. Andrew is married to Dr. Linda Wilson, the Stress Specialist and has two children, Isaac and Bella. He lives in Melbourne, Australia.