In our clinic, we monitor objective patient functional improvement with a “Patient Progress Graph.” Statistics indicate that our patients receive up to 1/3 faster results by following the suggestions below. If you are certain that you can help the patient’s condition, if treatment frequency is adequate, if your diagnosis and treatments are accurate, yet you are still not achieving the desired results, it is likely the patient is doing something to sabotage his/her own improvement.
Follow these steps to resolve slow response rates:
- First, offer the following list to your patients at the beginning of their treatments.
- Second, perform monthly re-examinations with each patient to review your results and show the patient his/her objective progress.
- Third, focus on functional improvement rather than symptoms with your treatments.
- Fourth, if results are lacking, decide if it is due to inaccurate diagnosis and/or treatment (immediately modify one or both to get the desired result) or problems in the patient’s lifestyle (use the list below in a quick interview).
- Fifth, if it is due to the patient’s lifestyle, gently give WRITTEN suggestions to resolve the lack of improvement.
Dear Patient and Friend:
Our purpose is to help you become as healthy as possible, as quickly as possible. Having worked on thousands of patients over the years, we have found that you can increase the results of our care by 30% simply by doing the following (if you haven’t already):
- Drink enough spring water every day. We suggest the average person drink ½ their body weight in ounces per day. For example: if you weighed 150 pounds, we suggest drinking 75 ounces of water, which is just a little over the amount in 6 soda cans. If it’s clear and has no taste, it’s water! (Coffee, soda, tea, etc. don’t count.)
- Receive acupuncture treatments regularly, as per the acupuncturist’s recommendation.
- Take your Chinese herbs (if applicable) regularly, exactly as recommended.
- Get enough restorative sleep every night. Most people need up to eight hours of sleep or more. The body heals as you sleep.
- Work to resolve conflicts with problematic people in your life.
- Reduce or discontinue intake of toxic substances, including (Although potentially controversial, we have found consuming the following items can slow down your results. If you have questions regarding any of these items’ effects on the body, do not hesitate to ask.):
- Refined sugar
- Caffeine
- Alcohol
- Nicotine
- Recreational drugs
- Preservative-laden foods, deep-fried foods
- Unfiltered or city water
- Dairy products (especially important for allergy, asthma, and digestive problem sufferers)
- Improve your nutrition. If you have questions on this topic, we have books to suggest and we offer nutrition consultations.
- Handle stress as effectively as possible. We can offer advice in this area should you desire it.
- Exercise regularly. If you aren’t currently physically active, we suggest starting with at least 2-3 exercise-related activities per week. Choose something you enjoy and chances are you will do it.
- Eliminate overwhelming or ineffective schedules.
- Organize your home and workplace. We can recommend books on this subject.
About the Author
Curry Chaudoir, Dipl.Ac. is the executive director and senior acupuncturist of Acupuncture and Holistic Health Associates in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Since 1999, he has treated over 25,000 patients with a broad range of conditions using acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and massage therapy
Curry earned his Masters of Science degree in Oriental Medicine at Southwestern Acupuncture College in Santa Fe, NM. Since then, he has constantly furthered his knowledge in Oriental medicine and related studies through post-graduate work at prestigious higher-learning institutions and healthcare seminars throughout the country. Curry is also a practice management consultant for David Singer Enterprises.
To learn more about practice management and patient communication, click here [2] to view a complete list of courses by Curry Chaudoir.