Videotape -- 28 Minutes

My wife looked away from the TV and said, "That's embarrassing." What we had both been looking at was some stupid ad by a local chiropractor. It was difficult to tell which was worse, the stiffness of the doctor trying to sell himself or the amateurish production.

In all fairness I should add that my wife was a successful production executive in Hollywood, so she views what she sees with an eye toward professional quality.

Still it didn't take someone with a professional sense to realize that the ad we had just seen was garbage. It's sickening watching your colleagues fight like pit bulls over the few people we get to see. Instead of educating the public on the values of chiropractic care, we spend small fortunes trying to get as many bodies into our own offices as possible. Forget about professionalism and integrity -- just wail on the suckers out there and get the bank roll as obese as possible.

As we know so well, medical doctors usually don't advertise because that's all done for them through movies, books, and TV. It's a form of institutional advertising. The public perceives them as above the scramble for patients -- forgetting that they get free public relations from the networks.

The other day I received another videotape from the New York Chiropractic College. The college produces what I feel is one of the most professional and dynamic series of chiropractic ever produced. The whole series is built upon a news magazine format and plays on a number of cable channels. The first one I reviewed was on the Wilk et al. vs. the AMA trial and was nothing short of superlative.

After seeing the Wilk tape you get prepared for a letdown. But to my delight, the tape "Doctors of Chiropractic -- The Modern Family Doctor" was as good in its own right as was the Wilk. A great deal of the success is due to the production quality. As the major networks have learned, the most important requisites of a successful program are the subject and the host. In both departments the series is a winner. The hostess is a young lady by the name of Margaret Mesecher who is intelligent, articulate and attractive enough to some day be a major network personality. The subject is of course important, for it addresses the chiropractic physician as a primary health care provider. During its 28 minute playing time, the program elicits comments from patients on the successful chiropractic treatment of such diverse conditions as PMS, menstrual problems, the maintaining of health in old age, pregnancy, and asthma. This is important, for you are not some glorified body mechanic -- you are a physician. A primary physician. One who tries to create a healthful environment for the entire body by accessing through the natural pathways of structure, nutrition, exercise, and homeopathy.

The tape informs the public that we can be their family physician. That we can see the baby with his earache, grandmother with her arthritis, dad with his hemorrhoids, mom with her menstrual cramps, and grandfather with his respiratory and cardiac problems. We are a complete health system and should present ourselves to the public as such.

Instead of fighting among ourselves for patients, doesn't it make more sense to have your state or local chiropractic society purchase this excellent set of tapes to be played on the station nearest you? Or -- you could purchase the tapes to show at the local service club or for a patient lecture. The audience would see the product of chiropractic packaged with class. They would see the profession in a different perspective -- one that would probably double the volume of your practice with the diversity you should expect.

No -- your picture might not be on every frame and your name wouldn't be falling off the screen, but you would most surely benefit by the colors of a softer brush producing a professional masterpiece of distinction and value.

RHT