Time based billing Problem 2: Less trust
In my last post I introduced the concept of why POGO Physio is moving on beyond the traditional session to session delivery of care with the introduction of our industry first fixed fee unlimited access Finish Line™ physio programs.
There are 30 problems associated with practices and practitioners selling their time on a session to session basis.
In this post I will introduce the second problem: Client suspicion lessens trust with the therapist (spoken or unspoken).
Trust is the glue between any relationship. None more so than the relationship between a patient and the practitioner. The very bed rock of a sound therapeutic relationship is found in the trust that a patient extends towards their therapist.
When trust exists great clinical outcomes can be achieved. When trust it is missing between the therapist and patient the lack of trust can derail potential clinical outcomes, or simply destroy any chance of arriving at a desired outcome (Finish Line™).
One of the chief problems of only delivering session to session physiotherapy care is that the patient receiving the care may rightly or wrongly perceive or believe that their therapist is simply asking them to come back for nothing more than a heightened wage!
It’s become a bug bear of mine when at a social gathering when asked what I do, my ‘I’m a physio’ reply, is met with ‘I saw a physio but I stopped, they just wanted me to keep going back!’.
I know that this is generally not the reality in physiotherapy. I am confident that practitioner’s don’t act selfishly for their own gain by advising the client to return when it its not required. Rather practitioners provide clients with what they believe to be in the client’s best interest.
Ironically this recommendation I find tends to be on the ‘under servicing’ side of what the client would most benefit from, but more on that later.
One reason I am willing to defend most physios accused or misperceived as over servicing a client is because by DNA most physios are carer nurturers- entirely client focussed, and wanting to genuinely ‘do the right thing’ by the client. After all that’s why they got into health care-to help people-not take advantage of them.
So with this in mind I find it sad that so many physiotherapy consumers commence rehabilitation, or access physiotherapy services with some level of suspicion around treatment recommendation practices. While it may not be explicitly stated or spoken about between therapist and client, it exists.
It exists simply because it is the nature of the ‘selling time’ game. The longer it takes for you to help me, the better for you, the worse for me. It’s a fundamentally flawed and broken model of service provision.
Hence why in July 2016 POGO Physio pioneered and introduced a model of care that restores and maximises trust between client and therapist. We introduced our industry first fixed fee unlimited access 2, 6, & 12 week Finish Line™ Programs. Our programs give our clients exactly what they want; certainty of spend, outcomes, and the time it will take to get the outcome. No longer are our clients on Finish Line™ Programs wondering if appointments are being scheduled for the practices gain ahead of their own. The result heightened trust-and unbeatable clinical outcomes.
If you are physiotherapy practice owner looking to get more respected results through heightened trust levels with your clients be sure to subscribe for our POGO Partners™ updates HERE>> POGO Partners™ Program.
From July 2017 our industry first Finish Line™ Programs will be available at select Australian physiotherapy practices.
Physio With a Finish Line™,
Brad Beer (APAM)
Physiotherapist (APAM)
Author ‘You CAN Run Pain Free!’
Founder POGO Physio
Host The Physical Performance Show
Featured in the Top 50 Physical Therapy Blog
