7 Solutions for Building Your Proactive Chiropractic Practice

Book Review by Jonice Owen, DC, FACO, Chom

Title:

7 Solutions for Building Your Proactive Chiropractic Practice

Author:

Michael S. Meyer, DC

Publisher:

Professional Practice Resources, 2004

Part #:

T-267

Whether you are researching the best practice management team to join, the best coach to hire or the best accountant to take on board for your chiropractic practice - or if you are just selecting materials to focus and stay positive - 7 Solutions for Building Your Proactive Chiropractic Practice is worth considering. Doctors of chiropractic and all supportive staff and/or family members constantly reassess service delivery, work goals, and health goals, while maintaining a healthy balanced life. We all know that in order to "stay on track," it is important to read inspirational materials. Being open-minded may allow the reader to extract more from their source. However, to be given a text that is both readable and inspirational is truly a gift. The reader may still work to extract information, but the read is more engaging and much more yielding of rich materials relevant to daily chiropractic practice.

7 Solutions is really a "handbook" with lines for penciling responses, a smattering of sample "logs," sample certificates, and several sample forms. It's a book that lets you get it all out there on paper, so that you can see where you are in your daily chiropractic life, learn from the author's experiences and knowledge base, and reorient yourself for yourself, your family and your patients. It is the type of format that can be read straight through, a few pages at a time. However, it's not a "workbook" or a reproduced form of a practice management three-ring binder. There is careful attention to book format and clear, concise, well-edited writing. You may not agree with all of the suggestions. You may have heard many of the variations before, but some of the suggestions will be new gems. There is enough diversity of information within this structured, chiropractically anchored text to keep you working on your own practice for some time.

Some of this is pure practice management. It is the type of material that may make some readers shudder if read out of context. However, the focus on multiple appointment visits, lost appointments equating with lost income, never settle, be happy where you are or move, etc., is all worth considering, or at least understanding. This is important, if for no other reason than to keep up on how other chiropractic doctors are running their offices. The choice of words, for example, "keep your patients educated, excited and adjusted" may be "catch phrases," but they are easy to remember.

The author is confident and powerful in his beliefs, without being forceful, pedantic or unyielding. For example: "Practicing chiropractic is hard work, requiring a strong sense of purpose, mission, and focus...nobody can be 'on purpose' and focused every minute of every day. But on the whole, the way to be chiropractically strong, and confidant [sic] is to design your life and practice around your personal and professional beliefs and values. To do this in an effective way, you must eliminate any conflict between how you run your practice - and live your life - and the deep-seated personal and chiropractic values and beliefs that you hold." Dr. Meyer offers wisdom and guidance in short subchapters such as Find a Mentor - Form a "Master-Mind Alliance"; Never Stop Learning - Take Business and Success Seminars; and Learn to Communicate, Learn to Influence. Since you are going to spend a portion of your practice income on management materials, 7 Solutions is a definite text to consider when you are getting the new chiropractic year off to an excellent start!

Dr. Meyer delivers what he proclaims: a focus on "real success" that "comes from a doctor who is dedicated, confident, competent and ethical in his or her practice and personal life." I give 7 Solutions a perfect score as a chiropractic management text. It will be of benefit to any doctor of chiropractic.

Jonice Owen's Rating:

10 out of 10