If you are a chiropractor who decides to operate a family practice, it means you will be catering to a wide range of needs and expectations. Creating a comfortable and safe environment is paramount to improving patient satisfaction and, ultimately, retention. The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (F4CP) outlines some best first steps in their article “Building and Maintaining A Family Practice: A Guide For The Office”.

The priority of any chiropractic office needs to be to define its vision for its practice. Some practices find themselves pigeonholed as symptom-based treatment hubs while wanting to instead be viewed as a practice defined by its promotion of long-term health and wellness for families. Cementing and enacting a practice vision is important to attract and keep new patient families in the fold. Creating an internal or external mission statement can help to make those goals more concrete.

Your mission statement should describe what your ideal practice looks like, including the volume of patients and patient types. Enlist your staff to make sure that you can land on a mission statement that everyone can get behind.

Communication

Next, systems need to be put into place to be able to handle rapid growth and volume. When whole families decide to enter care, that can add up to many new patients at once, depending on family size. If your systems and processes cannot properly facilitate new patients, these potential long-term patients will likely disappear. Proper communication is the first procedure we will focus on. What basic protocols or steps do you have in place to keep patients informed and comfortable with their care? The first call is crucial and can make the difference between a patient deciding to make a personal appointment or even signing up the rest of their family.

Have your chiropractic assistant (CA) ask on the call: “Is this an individual or a family appointment?” Opening the possibility for family care may prompt the patient to include more family members in chiropractic care. This simple question conveys that your office takes care of families, not only individuals. The next item is to educate the patient or patients on the importance of continued chiropractic care.

Education

It is important to remember that your patients come from all walks of life and may have limited understanding of what Chiropractic even is. Offering understandable educational materials and having informative conversations about chiropractic benefits can pay dividends in patient retention and buy-in. These materials should emphasize the value of Chiropractic not just as a means of symptom relief, but also as a means to enable the body to achieve maximum health and wellness for all members of their family. And in today’s digital landscape, it is worth investing in a digital system for the reception area, such as a TV screen that scrolls vital information or new offerings to patients. Be sure to regularly share educational materials with patients in a variety of ways, such as an email newsletter. It’s important that your patients experience positive educational stories and information related to Chiropractic to combat misleading media in the marketplace.

Scheduling

Scheduling in a way that is both convenient for patients and manageable for your practice can be a major challenge. Families often like to come in at the same time, so you must be able to accommodate that. Scheduling accordingly is important, so be sure to set up time blocks in a way that makes sense.

Creating a Family Friendly Environment

From the minute a patient walks into your office, it should be apparent that both  families and children are welcome. Every detail matters, from the furniture and the books on the shelves to the toys in the toy chest. Furthermore, does your office name have the word “family” in it? If not, it is something to consider, as it immediately alerts patients to the type of practice offered.

In the Eyes of a Child

Kids are tough customers. If they don’t like something, they have no problem telling you. Use friendly, fun colors in your office and a wall of photos of all the children and families you have cared for (with permission, of course). A children’s area or dedicated side space is also recommended. Make a point to switch toys out periodically and to see that things are reasonably clean and tidy.

Make it Personal

Offer office tours once a month for families to visit your practice in a no-pressure scenario. Parents can bring their kids to ask questions about what a chiropractor does. The tour should be brief and light. Let kids check out the tables or bounce on an exercise ball. Show them a model spine and let the kids touch it gently. And don’t forget to offer some nutritious snacks. Conclude with scoliosis and spinal screenings, as well as fun stickers or small takeaways.

Lastly, personalized family care packets are an added touch for patients to know that you value their health. Walk them through it before handing them off. If your patient expresses interest in sharing chiropractic information with a friend or family member, provide them with educational materials and contact information as well. Going to the chiropractor should feel like a beneficial and enjoyable part of a family’s routine if done right.