Enhancing Your Patients' Education

By Donald M. Petersen Jr., BS, HCD(hc), FICC(h), Publisher

In addition to keeping you (the doctor of chiropractic) informed, our other passion has always been to educate consumers and patients about the benefits of chiropractic. These efforts date back to the early 1980s, when we launched two customized print newsletters for doctors to mail to their patients and to people in their community.

Our efforts have progressed over the past 25 years, leading to the creation of To Your Health, a full-color magazine designed to be read by your patients.

TYH is supplied free to every U.S. doctor of chiropractic every month. We've gotten lots of responses from the first issue (January 2007) after only one week in print. Dr. Greg Shure from New York sent an e-mail (dated Jan. 8, 2007) that typifies what doctors and patients are telling us:

"I wanted to take a moment to thank you for the amazing new magazine To Your Health. I have placed it in the waiting room and have already received many positive feedbacks from my patients. I read the entire issue and feel confident that it will greatly enhance the education of my patients.

Thank you once again for the great work your staff and the magazine has put forth to help our profession become more wellness oriented."

While this and other responses we've received are very encouraging and help us do our job better, there are a few things you need to know:

• To Your Health is FREE to you. One free copy will come polybagged with your issue of Dynamic Chiropractic at the beginning of each month.
• You may order additional copies. You can order as few as five extra copies for your reception area or more to hand out to patients. (Information on professional bulk prices can be found at www.toyourhealth.com/pro.)
• Your patients can receive To Your Health at home. For a very nominal fee, we'll mail a copy of To Your Health to your patients at home, "compliments of your office." Not only will your patients read about the benefits of chiropractic and wellness, so will their family, friends and neighbors. (Please call 800-359-2289 for more details.)

We're here to partner with you to educate your patients and your community. Let us know how we can help you.

One chiropractor e-mailed me to say she didn't agree with some of the points made in one of the articles. That's OK! You are the doctor. You are their health care expert. Your patients read, hear and see lots of information that you don't agree with. The difference here is that these articles will spark discussions between you and your patients.

It is impossible to write an article in which everyone agrees with every point. The goal of each article is to begin a conversation between you and your patient. These conversations can lead your patients into thinking about areas of their health they might not have considered before. They can then turn to you for clarification, guidance, support and advice. That is why every article persistently tells the reader to "ask your doctor." That's you.

When you disagree, tell your patients why. This gives you an opportunity to share your perspectives on health and guide them in areas you might not have ever talked about. Your patients may not know just how knowledgeable you are or that you are their best resource for making decisions about their health.

You have a lot of important information to share. Your health philosophy is something your patients need to hear often. To Your Health is designed to educate, inform and encourage your patients to talk to you about their health. Use To Your Health as a vehicle to begin to have these important conversations about your patient's health.

It is also designed to encourage your patients to share the information with their friends and co-workers. There are a lot of people who sill don't understand the advantages of chiropractic. To Your Health is a magazine for consumers that tells them about chiropractic in a way consumers will hear and understand.

DMP Jr.

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