Blog #20 - Part 1 of 3 Tips to Minimise Graduate Cancellations in Private Practice

As Levi Bauer explains in a post on the HDM Corp. Blog, “the median salary for a physical therapist is around $75,000, which equates to around $36 per hour. If there are ten no shows per week, that equates to $360 per week, $1,440 per month, and $17,280 per year. This is no small issue.”

So, how do we reduce them?

At Physiomentor we train our graduates to strive for less than 5 DNA/UTA’s a week, and we achieve this marker in all our graduates by providing them with the tips, tricks and tools for success in private practice. Imagine how powerful these young physios will be in your business when they are equipped with the knowledge that most of us business owners have only realised later in our careers.

If you are still experiencing higher than KPI averages for your DNA and UTA numbers then you need to change something in the way you deal with patients. It cannot just be the clientele you are being allocated. You are part of an awesome practice, your techniques are improving, but some patients might never experience your excellent care if they never get past the initial appointment. Look at these areas for change:

Slow down –are you still running around like a flustered mess and not dedicating enough one-on-one time to your patient? Patient’s equate time with value so if your time management is not allowing you to spend enough one-on-one time with your patient to make them feel like a priority to you then this could be a contributing factor. Have you become the master of being an absent physio? This means have you started doing very minimal in- room treatments and maximising your out- of- rooms hot pack, electrotherapy, dry needling skills etc. Get back in the room and get connected with your patient and go over and above expectations for your patient. In a 5-minute medicine society, be the stand out healthcare professional that actually spends time with their patients.
Word of Mouth – Listen to the language you are using with your patient. Are you speaking in your foreign physio tongue and your patient is looking back at you completely confused???? Start using language and terminology that your patient will understand. Be positive for change, be motivating. Remember your language is very powerful in creating an imagery for the patient regarding their condition and it could be the determining factor as to whether they will follow your path of rehabilitation or feel there is no hope for recovery. Watch that you are not using detrimental words that may lead to poor patient compliance or worse still fear avoidance behaviour. What are you saying at the end of a consultation? See how you go? Just contact me when you need another session? Make another one and if you are better just phone and cancel? NO NO NO. What you say at the end of a consult is the biggest factor that will determine whether your patient will return for a follow up session. Most of us remember the beginning and end of something.