Money talks

The Canadian Institue for Health Information (cihi.ca) reports that healthcare spending in 2007 to be around 160 Billion. I wonder how much is spent on fixing and treating rather than preventing? All healthcare professionals agree that preventitive healthcare is crucial but do we put money where our mouth is? Have you ever walked into a Chiropractor's or Medical Doctor's office and said "I want to prevent a certain disease, can you help me?"

How do you think your healthcare provider reacts when he has nothing to fix?

No Viagra, No Lipitor, No pain to relieve?

From my own experience, it is hard to make the transition into a wellness and preventive approach. It has been a challenging journey and change has been constant. So how do we express our interest in your wellness and preventing disease?

1. Let's start with the vocabulary. No more calling people "patients". Individuals who choose to be a part of our practice are Practice Members (PMs). Patient suggests that there is something wrong with them and they need fixing. Practice Member is an empowering term, giving the individual some of the responsibility back.

2. Having a method that checks for Subluxations not diseases. I utilize Activator Methods Technique, along with a computerized nerve analysis, and strength tests to look for function rather than pain.

3. Understanding the person. We have every new practice member fill out a wellness wheel so that we can see their self-assessment rating on each of the 7 key areas of life.

4. Doing consistent re-evaluations. Every 15 visits.

5. Having Healthtalks (Seminars) for our PMs and their guests at no-charge. Educating and inspiring them has to be standard that our practice must live upto.

6. Trying to leave our ego out of the equation. This is one of the most challenging of all affairs.

7. Attending regular seminars to refresh and improve our clinic and the care we provide.

and more...

I really believe that doing the little things right is the key to expression. I am sure that this expression will continue to evolve and citizens of Edmonton will continue to support us as they have in the past.