Monday Morning Motivation | Compliance/Follow Through
Posted by Bill Esteb on Aug 3rd 2024
To say what you mean, and mean what you say, be mindful of these distinctions:
Compliance – As in “to conform, submit, or adapt to the wishes of another.”
This term is used in connection with a patient following “doctor’s orders.”
Related to “motivation” explored last week, this usually refers to relying on one’s social authority to compel patients to obey your treatment or visit recommendations.
This can take on an unsustainable parental dimension, making what patients do or don’t do, personal.
Worse, patient compliance can have an emotional aspect, giving access to the unsustainable and emotionally costly inclination of caring too much.
Follow through – A healthier choice is to acknowledge the free will agency of each patient to value their health and attend to its recovery as they see fit.
What patients do or don’t do has little to do with you, your authority, or the soundness of your recommendations.
Bill Esteb has been a chiropractic patient and advocate since 1981. He is the creative director of Patient Media and the co-founder of Perfect Patients. He’s been a regular speaker at chiropractic gatherings since 1985. His 12 books explore the doctor/patient relationship from a patient's point of view. His chiropractic blog, coaching program, patient focus groups and consulting calls have helped hundreds of chiropractors around the world. Since 1999 Monday Morning Motivation has been emailed to over 10,000 subscribers each week.