Though the nature of chiropractic practice has changed dramatically within just one generation, much of what doctors want from their careers has remained constant. Practitioners still want to deliver a unique brand of high-quality care to a growing segment of the population.

They still have a passion to be the best they can be as clinicians and as leaders. They continue to be devoted to helping people. And they still want to have healthy, successful practices. So while practice goals may be the same as they were in decades past, the path to achieving those goals has evolved.

Thriving in a changing world requires embracing continuous transition as the new norm, letting go of old expectations and mindsets, developing creative strategies and flexible systems, and being clearer than ever on how to deliver value to patients. Let's take a look at how practice has changed, what we can surmise about the future, and how to navigate an effective course toward that future.

Practice Then

Until just a few years ago, practice management and marketing strategies were the same whether you were in Seattle or Saginaw, whether you worked solo or in a 10-person group, and with little regard for the vision, individuality and goals of the practice owner. Consultants made a pretty penny essentially saying, "I did XYZ and I was successful; now you do it, too." Doctors used to expect their practices to grow in a linear fashion and, based on one or two slow months, would panic and toss out goals, their vision and their marketing plan, and run off to yet another seminar to find "the answer."

Failing to recognize that each patient is unique and that savvy people see through scripted messages, until recently many chiropractors still trained staff to use scripts to get patients in the door. The old way of engaging patients in care involved convincing, coercing, cajoling and controlling them into seeing things from the doctor's point of view. Patients who didn't comply were considered "difficult" or "not interesting in helping themselves." 

This doctor-focused approach worked well for many doctors for many years - until patients became more sophisticated, discerning, and informed. Chiropractors who hold on to this outmoded practice style often find themselves with fewer and fewer patients, not to mention unsatisfying careers.

Practice Now

Today, chiropractors recognize the need for innovative business models, better self-management, and quality outcomes. They also understand the degree to which patients are in the driver's seat, and that they must work to transform their staffs into teams.

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