Jeff Langmaid says clinicians build trust by asking patients one question: are you seeking temporary pain relief, fixing the underlying cause, or long-term performance? Knowing which motivation applies lets you tailor the care plan to what they actually want instead of what you think they need.
If you take one structural idea, it's this: that a care plan is built on two things: your exam findings and the patient's goals. That's it, two inputs. I'll say that one more time: your exam findings and the patient's goals. That's what a care plan should be built on, and I actually recommend you literally verbalize that to your patient. I'll go one step farther. I really like how my business partner Jason says, asking every patient up front or letting them know, there are three reasons people come in to see me: temporary pain relief, to correct the cause, or for long-term performance and maintenance. Which of those is you? Just Just let the patient tell you what they're there for. Then you're able to do your examination. You know what their health goals are. Those are the foundational elements to it. Building a care plan that's not generic, that's not salesy, that is literally for their benefit.
