The Evidence Based Chiropractor Blog

Hundreds of chiropractic marketing and research articles to help you grow.

Jeff Langmaid 10/1/14 Jeff Langmaid 10/1/14

The 3 Big Hinderances to Chiropractic Referrals- by The Evidence Based Chiropractor

Most MD's have 3 big hinderances when it comes to making a chiropractic referral (aside from safety, which is a topic for another day). At The Evidence Based Chiropractor, the guides in our Members Vault help chiropractors directly address and overcome these hinderances. In this blog post we will examine each of these hinderances.

1) The Patient Vortex- Many MD's are anxious about referring a patient to a chiropractor only to never see the patient again. Whether its a fear that the chiropractor may try to "talk them out of" medical care, or that the chiropractor is treating patients as a primary care physician would; there are many MD's who are scared of the "patient vortex".

2) Lack of Communication- Research shows us that between MD's and DO's, case notes are exchanged nearly 90% of the time. When a DC gets added to the equation the case notes drop to 60%. I would argue that its prudent in terms of service and case management to provide case notes for each and every patients PCP (within the law and with consent). The bottom line is that we, as chiropractors, need to improve our interdisciplinary communication.

3) The 500 Visit Care Plan- Almost everyone has heard a story of a patient entering a chiropractic office, being examined, and then subsequently being recommended years of care. While this is unfortunately true, it happens extremely infrequently. However, the story has scared off many MD's who are hesitant to refer when they are unsure if the patient will receive a trial course of care or a multi-decade treatment schedule.

As you can see, the 3 big hinderances to chiropractic referrals are mostly based on conjecture and myth. It is our task to make sure our potential referral partners know that 1) research shows that patients receive the best results when their primary care physician and chiropractor are working together, 2) we send case notes for every patient and provide timely communication, and 3) upon examination and evaluation we support a trial course of care. By addressing these topics up front you will ease the mind of your potential referral partner and further position your practice as a trusted asset for their patients healthcare.

Jeff Langmaid 10/1/14 Jeff Langmaid 10/1/14

50,000 Positive Chiropractic Messages- by The Evidence Based Chiropractor

This year we are on pace to send nearly 50,000 positive messages of outreach to physicians (MD's and DO's) worldwide through our members. Reaching out in an motivational, educational, and research-based fashion enables our members to build referral relationships. Are members are setting the foundation for next generation of chiropractors today. It is time for us to gain cultural authority. It does not mean we need to "add" to chiropractic, but rather highlight and promote the unbelievably safe, effective, and powerful chiropractic adjustment.

-The Evidence Based Chiropractor is the leading DC/MD marketing and outreach group in the world. Our service is dedicated to increasing chiropractic utilization by showcasing research. Marketing to medical doctors through research is efficient, cost effective, and can dramatically improve your incoming referrals. Join us. Lets grow chiropractic together.

Jeff Langmaid 9/30/14 Jeff Langmaid 9/30/14

Medical Attitudes Towards Chiropractic- by The Evidence Based Chiropractor

A new study in the Journal of Chiropractic Education examines the attitudes, knowledge, and perception of medical students towards chiropractic care. Not surprisingly, many of the medical students have had limited exposure to chiropractic. Their views and perceptions were based on hearsay and speculation as opposed to research and experience. A few of the key quotes include:

‘‘Just a lack of understanding of what a chiropractor does and the safety associated with it, are barriers to me, you know, when I’m practicing or referring someone to a chiropractor.’’

‘‘Showed us journal articles . . . this is the kind of evidence we were looking for, and she had presented this to us about safety and about patient satisfaction. I think those are 2 big topics for me that. . .maybe I can take this seriously, rather than just brushing it off, you know, as a service.’’

I am sure these quotes resonate with many of the members of The Evidence Based Chiropractor. My estimation is that roughly 50% of the physicians my members interact with have never met a chiropractor before. Unfortunately, chiropractic seems to be the best-kept health care secret of the last 200 years. However, we can built referral relationships with other physicians and drive increased utilization of chiropractic. By presenting research, answering questions, building rapport, and reaching out we can build the referral relationships which will not only grow our individual practices', but the profession as whole. In my opinion chiropractic needs nothing added to it; we simply need to highlight the wonderful safety and efficacy of the chiropractic adjustment.

Jeff Langmaid 9/9/14 Jeff Langmaid 9/9/14

Highlighting the Adjustment- by The Evidence Based Chiropractor

Highlighting the adjustment is a foundational aspect of The Evidence Based Chiropractor. Journals such as SPINE, the British Medical Journal, JMPT, the Annals of Internal Medicine, etc. have all produced research in support of the chiropractic adjustment. Chiropractic is a distinct and unique health care profession which, in my opinion, needs nothing "added" to it. However, we are in dire need of increasing our market utilization by highlighting our primary advantage... the chiropractic adjustment.

Chiropractors in the past could not actively promote the adjustment due to a lack of research. Throughout the years this may have contributed to our desire to include other modalities in our offices'. However, now we have a deep and vast base of research which we can draw from and promote. In a previous post I broke down the numbers and estimated that implementation of a interdisciplinary outreach system should be able to be accomplished with roughly a hour of staff time per month. The Evidence Based Chiropractor was founded to help facilitate this process, increasing our market utilization and ultimately creating more opportunities for chiropractors to practice worldwide. And, it is all done in an effort to honor the act of the chiropractic adjustment.

-The Evidence Based Chiropractor is the fastest growing chiropractic marketing group in the profession. We are dedicated to increasing chiropractic utilization by showcasing research. Marketing to medical doctors through research is proven, cost effective, and can dramatically improve your incoming referrals. Join us. Lets grow chiropractic together.

Jeff Langmaid 9/8/14 Jeff Langmaid 9/8/14

Honoring Chiropractors of the Past- by The Evidence Based Chiropractor

You may not know that my great-grandfather was a Chiropractor in the early 1920's. He went to Palmer and no doubt studied directly with B.J. at the Fountainhead. At the time, Chiropractors were fighting to stay out of jail and probably could only dream of a time when they would be able to practice without the direct threat of imprisonment. They risked everything on a little more than anecdote and belief in a better healthcare system. Medical doctors were still blood letting and penicillin had not yet been invented. Certainly, they could not have imagined how much the practice and economy of healthcare would change over the next 100 years.

Since that time Medical Doctors have consistently consolidated their resources to become a true behemoth on our nationwide economy. Meanwhile, chiropractors have bickered and splintered the profession to a point where growth (utilization) has remained stagnant for decades and we have virtually no political power aside from crisis aversion.

In my opinion, Chiropractic is perhaps the most safe and effective healthcare profession in history. Furthermore, we now have a plethora of research which substantiates our role in the healthcare arena. I am sure my great-grandfather would not be able to fathom a day when medical journals would support the use of chiropractic care. Frankly, I feel as though they would be aghast if they knew thousands of chiropractors were practicing and not actively promoting chiropractic research to the public and to other physicians. While I will never know my great-grandfathers thoughts on The Evidence Based Chiropractor, I am steadfast in my belief that the promotion of chiropractic research, and the ability to highlight the unbelievable power of the chiropractic adjustment, is a foundational component of how we can secure the future of chiropractic for the next 100 years.