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Best Practices for Structuring a Virtual Visit

 

 

So there are two types of virtual visits…

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Disclaimer: The following is an actual transcript. We do our best to make sure the transcript is as accurate as possible, however, it may contain spelling or grammatical errors.  Due to the unique language of acupuncture, there will be errors, so we suggest you watch the video while reading the transcript.

Would you like to have a virtual practice but you’re not sure how to structure your visits? Or you currently already have a virtual practice, if would like, is to flow better and help your ideal patients or clients get the best outcomes possible. Welcome, this is Chen Yen, your six and seven figure practice makeover mentor at introvertedvisionary.com. So there are two types of virtual visit. Number one is that you might be treating them in more of a practitioner patient kind of a relationship.

And then so they are considered your patient and maybe you have seen them in person before. And then you’re just having the virtual side of the connecting, going done virtual. And then and then some of you may be completely telehealth, and of course you need to check with the loss of your state and profession about that and how it’s kosher or not.

And then the second possibility of virtual visit is that you are type of virtual visit is that you are coaching them on more and educating them on mindset and health kind of education. So there is no. Provider patient kind of relationship here, it’s strictly on educating, it’s strictly on teaching and perhaps coaching.

And those are the two types of virtual visits that, that I see are most common. And so what, how can you structure the flow of these visits? So the first hot tip is to. At the beginning of a visit set a strong intention for for the visit and what to expect. So certainly some of the PR principles that if you’ve had a brick and mortar practice apply if it’s virtual, but sometimes because you’re not used to what a virtual flow would look like, then you’re wondering how best to.

Communicate it and communication becomes, and setting expectations and inspiring becomes even more important because that dimension of being with you in person isn’t there. So the. First is setting the intention of the visit and letting them know what to expect today. So that way your patient or client feels really grounded in what to expect instead of just starting off in a visit and talking about things.

One important thing is to set the intention and expectations for today, and then at the end of the visit summarize what’s been covered. Many times in a treatment, in person what has happened, they can experience it and feel it. And and maybe sometimes you, for you don’t always think to summarize what you did to today.

But it’s even more important if it’s in a virtual relationship to, to summarize what happened, acknowledge the progress that’s been made, and then ask them. So this is really key. So this is something that, this next thing I’m about to share is something that is often overlooked because as a clinician, it’s easy.

Just bring up what you saw was had shifted for them or what to ex, what to expect perhaps next time and that kind of thing. But even before then, if you’re able to ask them to share what stood out for them and then solidify your next step recommendations, then it helps the, your.

Patient or client be able to verbalize that and settle into another level of owning that and feeling that from the visit instead of you just bring up what, what stood out for you about that session for them and the Also using powerful questions throughout your visit. So this is a second hot tip.

What, how do you structure the visit? So I shared with you this overarching idea of structuring and what to say at different moments in time, beginning and then at the end of your visit. But then what are some powerful kinds of things to ask or say during your visit? Consider asking questions that might be powerful questions, for example, saying things like, what will having that do for you?

What’s important to you about that? So these are kinds of questions that can help your patient or client. Reflect on things more especially if a virtual visit may not be as quite experiential as in person in the way that you have imagined, in the way that you’re used to in person. So certainly a virtual visit doesn’t mean that, that people don’t have an experiential shift.

It’s just that the shift typically is a little bit different than an in person experience. Another kind of a phrase would be saying, Oh, something like this. Imagine if X, Y, Z. So when you are sparking belief changes, how can you weave in words that paint a picture of that for them? One of the things about virtual visit many times in terms of the practitioner’s role and how it shifts compared to a brick and mortar in person role is that there’s likely even more within a virtual visit where you are able to like that the.

Part of the value is sparking belief change or inhabit kind of change. And so what you can, whatever you could say to inspire to also hold them accountable for those shifts can really make a difference for a patient or client. Cuz how many of you have ever thought, especially if you don’t have a virtual practice, ci, you’ve thought.

What can I actually do in a virtual visit that people would find beneficial? Cause I just, I, I need to see them in person. There’s, I don’t see that I can really give much value in a virtual visit. And sometimes we don’t think about how some, the most significant shifts that a patient or client can make has to do with the lifestyle changes that they’re making in between your visits and.

So it, but sometimes those are the hardest things for a patient or client. So how can you help them ha have better outcomes Because they’re actually motivated, inspired, and they are sticking with the lifestyle changes that you are recommending for them. And Also the, Have you ever had a, discussing the, at the begin, also at the Beginning of each visit, like at the next visit, always discuss the commitment.

So what was the previous commitment that your patient or client made? What and verbalize that. So last time we discussed you X, Y, Z. And then talk about the progress with that commitment. And this accountability piece might seem so trivial but still crucial because have you ever had that experience or maybe either you had a coach before, like in sports or something or a teacher in school where you had to be accountable to whether it was just even turning homework in.

Then did you notice you, you then worked on the homework and turned it in. Whereas if you didn’t have homework to turn and you probably wouldn’t turn it in, or if you have had a coach you were responding to, or a coach, sports coach who made you do 10 pushups every morning then you did do those pushups.

Whereas if you, and maybe someone watching you right, doing the pushups, then you were more likely to do it. Same thing with your patients or clients when you can hold them accountable. There’s huge value to that. That way your patients or clients are held accountable even if they didn’t feel like it.

Final couple hot tips is are this, so remember that. Because I think one of the things about a virtual practice and virtual visit situation is especially at first feeling like, Oh, I’m not sure if I’m really giving enough value here because I’m so used to treating and then they’re feeling the treatments being having shifted.

And and so is this feeling. We need to give in, in, in each visit. So we need to educate them about as much as possible because we’ve got this time allotted. So we need to put everything in that visit as much as possible. And guess what happens? Patient or client gets into information overload and feels so overwhelmed.

And then sometimes then they don’t end up rebooking or, have this that ever happened to you before where you if you’ve had a virtual Practice, you’ve noticed that, oh, maybe I said too much in that visit. , right? And so remember that information overload is not helpful. It’s actually the right balance of, because it can overwhelm people and people can tend to only absorb so much each time, even though we wanna give so much each time.

And so it’s helpful to, it’s an art and a skill. To be conveying what is important to convey in that container and enough to help them move forward with an important shift. So when shifting from a model of treating people to helping people online and perhaps missing the treat treating component, remember that the value of the visit is not just in fixing people.

So think about what are the most significant things that will spark lasting transformation and focus on that in, in your visits. If you are in a place where you already have a virtual practice or thinking about getting it, shifting into more of a virtual practice, either hybrid brick and mortar and virtual practice model, or maybe even a hundred percent virtual so that you have that flexibility to travel anywhere or work from home and not have to.

Be tied down to renting office space and being tied to having staff and that kind of thing as much, then I, but you’re not really sure how to go about it. You’re welcome to, to check out our website and reach out to us at introvertedvisionary.com. So introverted visionary.com and till next time.