Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/68185
Forging Relationships with Physicians When you are working with a client who is under a doctor's care, it's important to remember that you need to develop a relationship not only with the client, but with her doctor as well. If you're thinking about developing a practice that specializes in such work, it's vital to develop relationships that lead to a solid referral base. Renee L. Woods, MD, founder and owner of Genevan Healthcare (gynecology practice) and Trinitas Medical Systems (a pelvic floor rehabilitation practice) in Washington, offers these suggestions: • Make it easy. During these difficult financial times, remember that a physician's time is both limited and valuable. Streamline the process and make it easy for them to refer their patients to you—use pre-printed referral forms, do preliminary work with the insurance companies, become a preferred provider, or join the network. Don't expect the physician or her staff to devote a lot of time to you. "Cost containment is imperative in medical practice. If making the referral is going to lead to having to talk directly to the patient's insurance company in order to arrange coverage, or require pre-certification … then the likelihood will greatly diminish. There are just not enough hours in the clinical day. Anything that can minimize additional time and effort on the part of the provider will make it more likely that the referral or recommendation will be made." Approach the office nurse or office updated resume, as well as your business cards and brochures. Have your cards made into magnets, for easy location. • Talk the talk. Remember that you are a professional offering collaborative care. You can contribute something of value to the care of this patient that the physician cannot. Educate the physician about how massage therapy and bodywork can change the body. Teach about how guarding painful areas affects posture, balance, and strength. But remember that these are offering a "relaxation day" or "spa day" for the office staff, perhaps on a day when the physician is out for surgery (or even having the physician participate, if that can be arranged), so that the entire staff has you on their radar. Bring plenty of copies of your manager, not the physician, to make your first contact. You'll be more successful if you find out the names of the gatekeepers and communicate with them directly. "Unfortunately, I have to have my mail screened and the office manager will put in front of me those things that are essential. A letter directed to this person would probably be read and a follow-up phone call to explain [your work] to that person would be a first good step." • Make yourself memorable. For instance, give targeted physicians a gift certificate for a free massage. Woods suggests people who have been trained in Western medicine and they relate best to Western medical theory. Talk about muscle groups, not energy meridians. • Be serious, but at the same time, be positive and upbeat. "I want to hear professional information, including the PR professionalism, about how they value the patient and want to have a collegial working relationship. I would like to hear how this is going to help my patient's quality of life, her long-term outcome, [and] her satisfaction with the care that I provided (which will now include this referral). Also a great thing would be to hear if the provision of this care (the massage) is going to reduce future problems and future demand on the healthcare dollar. I certainly don't want to hear how there are no good doctors out there, [or] that they really don't care about their patients or they would be referring more. "I don't want to hear that the massage therapist is bringing religious elements into their practice (this mostly refers to New Age devices which seem to be very common in the practice of massage). I don't want to hear defensiveness. Body language? I don't want them to be overly relaxed (casual to the point of disrespect), and at the same time I don't want them to act as if they revere me (put me on a pedestal) or certainly not get the impression they fear me." • Walk the walk. If a physician makes a referral to you, you will be representing them. Dress the part in tidy business- casual attire—khaki pants and a shirt with a collar are definitely more appropriate than Indian tie-dye, peasant skirts, and homemade sandals. If they can't stay at home, your healing crystals should probably stay in your pocket, not swing from your neck or your earlobes. "I will appreciate them being businesslike and professional. Not stuffed-shirt, but professional." • Stay in communication. Monthly updates and as-needed communications regarding questions or concerns about the therapy's progress are appropriate, especially if things aren't proceeding the way you expect. Do your homework—there are excellent surgical reference books you can use to study the specific procedures and resulting anatomical changes. Be careful about being overzealous in automatically trying to "correct" what you find, especially when you're first starting out. "I would certainly be fearful if I had any thought that there would be any deep tissue work that might compromise the suturing or the sealing of tissues that need to heal. I did once have a patient who went for deep tissue massage following a hysterectomy, and the massage therapist found something 'tight' that 'shouldn't be there' and did the deep tissue work till that tight 'thing' released. It turned out that they were feeling the ligament that had been re-attached to the upper vagina/ cervix in order to maintain pelvic support. Immediately following this therapy—the last visit in which a 'popping' sensation was perceived—this patient had new pelvic prolapse. She had to have another surgery. "So thinking through what the possibilities are when working, not assuming that something changed is something bad, possibly consulting with the provider as to function and purpose (or better yet, researching it), is in order." connect with your colleagues on massageprofessionals.com 65