Are You Getting Enough Compliance to your Treatment Plans?

Are You Getting Enough Compliance to your Treatment Plans?

We have found over the years that one of the most rapid ways to increase practice production is to increase patient compliance to recommended treatment plans. This increase in production can be done without increasing the number of new patients. A minor 10% increase in compliance can result in tens of thousands of dollars of additional production and income with no change in overhead. The biggest single factor in increasing patient compliance is the doctor's ability to properly present treatment plans to the patient. Below you will find some helpful tips along this line.

Treatment Presentation Tips

A sale is an exchange whereby all parties involved receive something of value. In health care professions, a patient/client receives care to remedy a health problem and/or to maintain good health. In exchange for the work done, the staff and doctor are paid. A successful practice has doctors and staff members in it who care enough to sell patients exactly what they need.

The doctor's role in the sale cycle is to diagnose and plan treatment for the correct care. Without that, there would be nothing to sell. Does this sound easier than it actually is? Most doctors would say "yes".

From working with doctors for over 25 years, we've isolated many common mistakes doctors make when presenting treatment plans. Three of those are covered below.

Convincing vs. Selling

Convincing people they need to buy something is different than selling them on an idea, service or product. Selling is really nothing more than obtaining agreement. A patient/client who understands the treatment needed, agrees that it needs to be done and commits to doing it is the result of a successful treatment plan presentation. In an attempt to convince a patient/client to accept a plan, doctors often talk too much which, in most cases, works against them. Don't overwhelm your patients/clients with information or with too much communication.

Plan A vs. Plan B vs. Plan C

Do you give your patients/clients too many choices? Your patients/clients don't know what's best for them. They rely on you to tell them what they need. If you don't do that, but give them a choice between Plan A, Plan B or Plan C, the patient/client will naturally ask the cost of the different plans and select the least expensive one. Asking someone to make a choice between a $600 plan, a $350 plan and a $195 plan can even cause suspicion. The patient/client may wonder why you would do a $600 plan if a $195 plan will suffice. Don't let the patient/client decide what he/she needs or what is best for them. That's your job. You are the professional and should give your professional opinion as to what is the right thing for them to do.

"Maybe" vs. "You Need"

As mentioned, you know what your patients/clients need in order to be in good health now and in the future. You spent years and years and years in school learning this. However, when discussing treatment with patients/clients, doctors will often "water down" the presentation. Phrases such as "I think" or "Maybe it's a good idea" instead of "You need" create uncertainty in the patient's/client's mind. If a patient/client needs a specific treatment that may be costly, and this is presented to them with obvious hesitation, they will follow your lead and get the idea that it's an optional treatment. They may not understand that it's vital to their well-being. When you have confidence in the treatment you're providing, you don't need to back off from stating it with certainty. Your patients/clients will appreciate your sincerity, honesty and competence. A very successful application of this concept is to say, "If it was my situation, I would do....". As long as that is the truth, and you say it with sincerity and certainty, the patient/client will follow your lead.

Try following the above tips and I think you'll find an increase in your patient compliance to the treatment plan you present.

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Larry Silver
President, Silkin Management Group