Developing Medical Doctor Referrals

Do you have a sense that medical doctors are reluctant to refer patients to chiropractors? Referrals are a great source of new business, but many chiropractors don’t receive a lot of referrals from local physicians. One of the reasons is that chiropractors, for whatever reason, aren’t trying very hard to develop referrals from the medical community. In this post, we offer some suggestions that we have seen produce productive results and help build a spinal decompression practice. Learn More About Medical Doctors’ Practices Medical practices were established long before anyone ever heard of chiropractic care. Medical doctors have long-standing traditions concerning how they manage their practice and, importantly, how they interact with peers in the medical community. Understanding these traditions will provide insight into medical doctor expectations and how the game is played. Learn, for example, what kind of information and communication they expect if they do refer a patient so that you will not disappoint or frustrate them. Typically, they will want to receive patient records and status updates so that they can follow the patient’s progress. Understanding and meeting expectation will help develop a productive relationship. WIIFM A good starting point is to discuss the types of patients that you see who are candidates for referral to the medical doctor. Addressing his of her WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) establishes your willingness to send business their way and that you understand that referrals are a two-way street. Give specific examples of patients you have seen who were likely candidates for referral to a medical clinic so that they can see that there may be some advantage in doing business with you and that you understand how the game is played. Team Approach Today’s practice of medicine has evolved into one that more readily embraces a holistic approach to treating patients than in the past. Let’s face it, you are not going to solve all your patients’ problems alone. In some cases, other supportive therapies many contribute to a patient’s recovery and overall health. Networking with medical doctors disciplined in appropriate complimentary disciplines in an effort to form an interdisciplinary team can provide benefits to patients. It can help establish a network of two-way referrals with medical doctors and establish your reputation within the community as a team player who shares the goal of providing treatment that is in the best interest of the patient. Developing a referral base among medical doctors may, at times, require that you overcome some of the barriers that exist among chiropractors and medical doctors. Those barriers, we have found, are not set in stone. In fact, in the vast majority of times, they exist only because of a lack of mutual understanding, a lack of communications and a concern over competition for patients. Once you take the time to implement some of the tactics we have outlined above, we are confident that you will benefit greatly through increased referrals, and improved standing among the larger medical community and, bottom line, increased profits in your practice. Can you improve your medical doctor referral rate? Promote your clinic as the "Go To" clinic for medical doctors in your area. Check out our customized, branded, professional Medical Doctor Referral Packet here: http://bit.ly/1ns009p.