Stand by Your Brand

Educated and Evidence-Based Therapists

By Lynn Steffes, PT, DPT

You claim that your brand is highly educated/evidence-based therapists!

Prove it! Customers are most satisfied when we not only meet, but also exceed the expectations we set!

When we purchase laundry detergent, for instance, are we buying a chemical product used to clean our clothes, or are we buying freshness and cleanliness, something that will lead us to a more fruitful and pleasant existence? When we choose a soft drink, is it because this particular liquid substance will keep us hydrated, or are we identifying with a product that represents who we are or, even more, who we want to be?

Your social media/website/newsletter should:

• provide great professional profiles outlining experience and education
• have evidence-based references in its Twitter and Facebook posts/blogs/tweets
• include links to literature on specialty programs/services

Your clinic(s) should:

• have professional profiles of your therapists posted or included in welcome packets
• display a bulletin board or computer screen that highlights the latest research

Our clinicians should:

• refer to evidence when discussing treatment options with their patients
• share evidence with referring physicians when communicating on patients
• participate in evidence reviews/journal clubs that invite participation of referring physicians and their extenders

Your documentation should:

• refer to evidence when completing assessment sections that reflect clinical decision-making
• reflect individual treatment planning and execution based on evidence rather than a cookie-cutter approach to treatment design!

Lynn Steffes, PT, DPT, is president and consultant of Steffes & Associates, a national rehabilitation consulting group focused on marketing and program development for private practices nationwide. She is an instructor in five physical therapy programs and has actively presented, consulted, and taught in 40 states.