Everyone in theory understands the importance of preventative healthcare. A study by The Center for Disease Control estimated that 75% of healthcare spending in the United States goes to chronic diseases which are preventable. Just imagine the well being of the country if everyone switched to a healthy diet, stopped smoking and exercised regularly!

The problem is in part the fault of the patient’s view of healthcare. They will continue to prevent their own recovery if they believe that a pill or and adjustment will solve all their problems. You need to coach them so they understand the risks, see the importance of their part in the treatment and then have the discipline and accountability to succeed.

You need to help put things in perspective. The exercises that you have assigned for them to do everyday may allow them to go on a family vacation or continue playing golf with their friends! Someone needs to be honest with them and take on the hard role of pointing out their need to learn how to take care of their body. They will appreciate it when they are feeling better and you will get a reputation as someone who can improve people’s health!

One of the best things you can do is utilize educational materials. Educating patients on their specific condition, or providing information on healthy lifestyle changes can be a powerful way to provide them vision in their life.

One great resource for chiropractors is Chirotopix (www.chirotopix.com). With Chirotopix, your staff will have immediate access at their fingertips for the topic that a particular patient needs. Too often, we buy bundles of brochures and three things happen; they collect dust, they’re non-personalized for the doctor, and not the right topic when you need it.

You can also utilize an electronic health record software, like BackChart (www.backchart.com), to store important educational materials and easily provide them to the patient. Electronic health record software systems are key to help you focus on preventative care for your patients. You can easily track data & follow up with patients in a new and unique way. If you still haven’t made a decision to go electronic, now is the time to do your research!