During my nine years as a practicing chiropractor, my approach to the new patient consultation changed a lot. When I first started, I flew by the seat of my pants, which I don't recommend. Then I got into practice management and started using scripts that never felt natural. Eventually I settled on a simple structure built around three questions I asked every new patient.

In this episode I focus on the second question: "What are you hoping to achieve from your time here?" It sounds simple, but the answer gives you the information you need for one of the hardest parts of being a chiropractor, which is managing people.

I walk through four reasons this question matters. It defines what a win looks like, so you don't help a patient with 99 things and miss the one thing they actually came in for. It gets you and your patient on the same page, which cuts down on the unspoken expectations that cause so much frustration in practice. It becomes the foundation for your report of findings, so you're connecting the dots between your exam and their goal instead of handing them a puzzle to put together. And it becomes the foundation for patient education and ongoing care, so recommendations for stability or wellness care are tied to something the patient actually cares about rather than a vague idea of being "proactive."

I also share my own story of first going to a chiropractor for headaches, not back pain, and why I would have said chiropractic didn't work if only my back had improved. Then I explain why scripted consultations fall short. When you already have your next line planned, the patient's answer doesn't matter, and that's not how you build a long-term relationship with a patient.

If you're frustrated with how patients follow through with care, or you feel like you're always on a different page than your patients, this question is a good place to start.

Topics Covered:

• How my chiropractic consultation approach evolved over nine years in practice
• Why chiropractic consultation scripts often feel unnatural
• The question I asked every new patient: "What are you hoping to achieve from your time here?"
• Defining what a win looks like for each chiropractic patient
• Why patients say chiropractic didn't work when you miss their primary concern
• Getting on the same page with patients and setting realistic expectations
• Using the patient's goal as the foundation for your report of findings
• "Don't give people puzzles": closing the knowledge gap in patient education
• Why you should never make connections that aren't there
• Explaining stability care and ongoing chiropractic care in terms patients care about
• My own story of going to a chiropractor for headaches
• Why scripted consults hurt patient relationships and care follow-through

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