3 Principles to Transition Patients Into a Program

I’m going to tell you something I realized a long time ago. A realization I came to about fifteen years ago when I was at the end of my rope and ready to give it all up. The consult model doesn’t work. It breaks my heart to see other practitioners working like this now. Health professionals using the insurance consult to follow-up model are strapped down to the chair in their office, burnt out, and their income and business profitability are limited. These practitioners want to help people, but you can only run a business and live this way for so long before you’re ready to throw in the towel. Instead of consults, burnout and limits to income and patient outcomes, other successful functional medicine practitioners and I use programs. A program allows you to get excellent patient outcomes, scale your business and free up your time. The program-style business model still has one-on-one sessions to build relationships with patients, but it also has:

Automation
Education
Community
Group sessions
Support chats
Support desk communication

That is why we can move the needle of health very quickly in a short time. We leverage our time while empowering patients with the tools, support and accountability they need to reach their goals. That sounds like a no-brainer, right? The only problem is practitioners don’t know how to transition from their existing consult model to a program-style model. Luckily, we’re experts in this. These are the three principles we recommend to make the shift:

Start with 2 to 5 people These may be family, friends, existing patients, or even people from your current waiting list. This smaller starting group allows you to set up and iron out systems without getting overwhelmed.
Build your content one week ahead While you will likely start with a basic framework, your starting clients will help you refine and personalize the program content and pace.
Create community Community is the secret sauce to getting great patient outcomes. Research has repeatedly shown that community and group support can make all the difference in people reaching health goals.

Transforming from the consult model to a program-style model is a game-changer. The results and testimonies you receive with programs will be unbelievable! Making the switch on your own can take time and some trial and error. We’re here to help guide you. Book a call with us so we can support you with this business transition!