If it does make the top 10, why? And if not, why not?

Often times our focus is on “what the patient perceives their problem to be. I have seen many providers fall into this particular trap over and over again, especially during a lengthy consultation. This is something Dr. Harper talks about in every class or seminar we teach. Differential Diagnosis is (or should be) the foundation of any treatment. A comprehensive physical exam should shed light on where a patients’ problem lies versus what the patient perceives the problem is. Dr. Harpers adage is if the treatment makes it better or even worse that’s a good thing because it shows that you are on the right track. If there is no difference then you probably aren’t treating the right thing!

So Differential Diagnosis should probably be first on the list of treatment considerations. Next you may jump right into treatment options ozone, PRP, Biologic Allograft and then almost before you know it the treatment has been administered and the patient is instructed to return for follow-up. That is generally how things happen. This is fine, if the outcome is a success, but what happens when the result is less than expected, worse than before treatment or fails completely in making a difference? How many times have you found yourself in this particular situation? To say it is an uncomfortable place to be would probably be an understatement. Do you find yourself trying to defend, or justify the treatment given, ultimately taking responsibility for the disappointing outcome? Wondering what might have caused the lackluster results, or what you might have done differently?

Differential Diagnosis is (or should be) the foundation of any treatment, as stated in a previous paragraph. However, as most of us know before laying a foundation there is much work to be done. This is the absolute best perk to preconditioning. Laying the groundwork allows you to have a very frank discussion with your patients about their current level of health, as well as the direction they need to take to achieve or maintain their current level of health. There are several benefits to having this discussion. First it allows you to shift the responsibility for the patient’s health right where it should be, with them! You should NEVER accept responsibility for a person’s health, this may seem like a strange statement, however, realize by accepting that responsibility, you implicitly agree to accept blame for their failure to be healthy. It is not your place to be responsible for the health of anyone except yourself! I tell patients all the time, I can’t care more about your health than you do. So, preconditioning gives you the opportunity to put the ball in the patient’s court. Clean up the diet, check Vitamin D levels, recommend a few base supplements and see them back in a couple weeks to do the agreed upon treatment. These simple things can mean the difference between success and failure of a treatment. It can make you a hero or a zero in the eyes of your patients.

As many of you know, Dr. Harper is very much a keep it simple kind of guy and in an effort to make it simple for patient’s and doctors alike we have a couple great tools to assist you!

1. On our HRS website we have a custom-made brochure that can have your clinic information on it. For a minimal one-time fee, you will own the template and can reprint them at will. This is a great tool to have available to patients to spark interest and allow them to initiate a discussion with you about their health. We are seeing a definite increase in patients wanting to be more proactive with their health.
2. The second thing is the Preconditioning Pak that Dr. Harper had Optimal Health Systems create specifically for us with the basic supplements we recommend patient’s take daily. You can order these for resale in your office, or direct patients to by online at https://www.optimalhealthsystems.com/# (Search Precondition Pak). Rather than recommending 5-6 different supplements which patients seldom take after the initial purchase this Precondition Pak is easy, affordable, contains everything you need daily in a convenient grab and go Pak! No opening 5-6 different bottles, no drawer full of pills to deal with. It has been a real hit here in the office and patients love it! For more information on this product you can go to www.harperozone.com to our recommended products tab or visit the OHS link provided above.

Let preconditioning become a staple in your treatment repertoire,

you will be glad you did!