By Peter J. Lord, Ph.D.

As a doctor of chiropractic, you’ve been trained to recognize physical changes in the human body. You treat patients with various musculoskeletal problems, as well as a myriad of disease states.Today, we are experiencing a paradigm shift in healthcare. Until recently, the “sickness model” has dominated the health-care system.

In this “sickness model,” we have seen the following:
• Products and services provided reactively to people with existing disease; and
• Products and services geared mostly for use after the disease has presented or developed.

In the paradigm shift to the “wellness model,” we are now seeing:
• Individuals proactively involved in their own health;
• Companies proactively involved in their employees’ health and wellness;
• Products and services provided proactively to healthy people to make them feel better, slow aging, actively prevent disease from developing, or to detect and treat disease early; and
• A wellness industry, which was almost non-existent 10-15 years ago, is now a $200 billion-a-year industry [Paul Zane Pilzer, economist, in “The Wellness Revolution” (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 2002)].

Members of the Baby Boomer generation are taking responsibility for their health. They represent 28% of the population, but account for 50% of the economy, according to Pilzer. These individuals want to stay young, as well as look better and feel better. They seek out preventive healthcare but can’t always find it.

Each year, Americans spend the following on wellness:
• $24 billion on health clubs (Fitness Management);
• $70 billion on nutritional supplements (U.S. Food & Drug Administration);
• $106 billion on preventive screenings, health and fitness advice, alternative health-care options, and other wellness products and services (Pilzer).

By 2010, the wellness industry could reach $1 trillion, Pilzer projects. Following are some health statistics that are influencing opportunities in wellness, including alarming increases in the percentages of health challenges:
• 14 million Americans have low bone density, and 77% of the estimated 8 million who have osteoporosis are undiagnosed (National Osteoporosis Foundation);
• 65% of the population is overweight, and 25% of those people are clinically obese (U.S. Centers for Disease Control);
• 300,000 deaths per year are associated with being overweight and obese (U.S. Surgeon General);
• 58 million Americans have one or more forms of cardiovascular disease, the majority of which are undiagnosed (American Heart Association);
• 17 million have diabetes, 8 million more than estimated previously, and 5.5 million are undiagnosed (American Diabetes Association); and
• An estimated 16 million people have the precursor to diabetes, called pre-diabetes, or insulin resistance (American Diabetes Association).

As the shift in healthcare continues from the sickness model to the wellness model, there are increasing opportunities for the chiropractic profession. Fewer than 1% of MDs in the United States are involved in wellness or preventive health-care programs (U.S. Wellness, Inc.). They don’t have the time to be involved in prevention, because they are seemingly too busy treating disease.
Today’s health-care delivery environment is forcing practices to be creative in their approach. Profits are declining from managed care, insurance, and third-party headaches, and the volume of paperwork is increasing.

As individuals, businesses, and groups become more proactively involved in their own health, you and your practice can capitalize on trends developing in the wellness revolution. You can provide products and services in your practice to help people feel better, slow aging, and actively prevent disease from developing or detect and treat disease early.

It makes good business sense to become a part of, or increase your involvement with, the wellness industry by adding wellness services and products to your practice. Many of you already provide supplements and other products to your patients. The implementation or addition of wellness products and services, including health screenings and educational programs, can have a significant impact on the success and bottom line of your practice.

Wellness can impact your practice through:
• improving patient compliance and results;
• increasing referrals;
• promoting consumer loyalty;
• identifying new candidates for chiropractic care;
• increasing ancillary sales;
• increasing visibility/enhancing public image; and
• providing a source of cash revenue.

Your education and experience are ideal for the new paradigm shift in healthcare towards prevention and wellness. Many people do not have the knowledge or the motivation to be able to do it on their own, and you can help them live a healthier lifestyle. Wellness programs and services improve patient compliance and results, creating satisfied patients and many referrals.

Wellness interventions, programs, services and products will bring more patients to your practice, helping you create more “customers for life.” A majority of health challenges and diseases can be either avoided or dramatically lessened if healthy lifestyle habits and preventive measures are practiced, including proper diet, nutritional supplementation, and exercise and lifestyle changes.

You can also create a loyal customer base for consumable products, which will create revenues that compound with monthly repeat sales. Your chiropractic practice is probably in a location that is visible and can become recognized by potential clients/patients as a place for traditional chiropractic services, in addition to the facility to go to for wellness services.

Corporate and other community organizations will become additional referral sources. These services can lead to discovery of health challenges that require medical services that create opportunities for you to refer patients to physicians, which will then generate referrals back to you and your practice.

Wellness services may include:
• health screenings;
• workshops and seminars;
• lifestyle management programs;
• health fairs;
• consultations; and
• ancillary product sales.

Some of the venues for providing these services may include:
• your practice;
• your community;
• self-insured companies;
• assisted living facilities;
• health clubs; and
• country clubs.

Services you may choose to offer might include: health screenings for osteoporosis, diabetes, cholesterol, glucose, body composition, and more. Additional services can include educational lifestyle and health management programs such as: smoking cessation, weight management, and stress management. The programs can be offered as an adjunct, follow-up, or independently from the screenings.
Ancillary products may include nutritional supplements, rehabilitation items, fitness-related products, and more, depending on your interest and areas of specialization.

It’s important to take a comprehensive approach in implementing wellness and health management services and programs into your practice.To get started, you should:
• Analyze your expertise and consider your area of specialty.
• Do market research for services in your community. Start by doing a health fair with other community organizations or a Saturday clinic or screening event.
• Build your team to suit the area of specialization you desire, such as weight management, osteoporosis, cardiac, diabetes, stress, and others.

You can add screening instruments and services as you grow the wellness business. Your goal is to develop services that impact disease prevention, health management, and recovery of patients with acute or chronic health problems.Within the practice, explain the mission to the staff: How does it affect them? Get staff to buy in to support programs and cross-promote services and products. Develop and provide materials and educational tools for staff, and assign specific tasks to members of your team.

Before implementing wellness services, you should ask yourself some hard questions, including:
• Will I devote the time it takes to ensure the program’s success?
• Do I have ability to secure financing, or do I have the necessary cash reserves to implement a program?
• Will the staff support and promote the addition of wellness services?
• Am I willing to develop and implement a marketing plan, to ensure awareness of the services to be offered?
• Is there a lack of commitment or staying power?

The wellness revolution is here now, and it will continue to grow, providing many opportunities for the doctor of chiropractic. The addition of wellness services and products can be key to enhancing your practice’s value and profitability. You can provide leading-edge technology and services, create an exciting and rewarding new aspect to your business, and have healthier and happier patients.

Dr. Lord has more than 25 years of experience in patient care and practice management consulting, and he founded HealthQuest in 1994. He provides services to health-care professionals who desire to integrate wellness services and products into their practices. HealthQuest also provides wellness services to corporations, groups, and individuals with health screenings, education, and health promotion throughout the country. Dr. Lord can be reached at 800-769-8111 or 904-778-2090, or by e-mail at thewellnessteam@aol.com