The FootZine subscriber list continues to grow, taking us well past the 500 mark.  Welcome to the new readers, and thanks to those who have stayed with us from the beginning.  The more participants in our forum, the greater the accumulated base of knowledge we can make available.

If you haven't explored the FootZine web site yet, you may not know that we have search features on both the "FootZine Archives" and the "Gem Archives" pages so that you can find past issues relevant to a specific topic.  There are also pages collecting all the HIPAA, Coding and Practice Management features, as well as the Calendar and Networking pages.   Come on in and have a look around!

 ~ Gayle

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"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.  The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young."  - Henry Ford

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From:  Susan Weeks, PMAC
re:      Rising Co-Pays   (Volume 70)

Hi Gayle,

Dr. Ornstein mentioned the rising co-payments associated with office visits (dealing with no-shows article).  Please be reminded that if the patient is coming in for a follow-up within the global period, you should NOT be charging a copay for that visit.  FYI, in Illinois we have one or two groups of patients that are now paying a 'specialist' copay of $50.00.

Professionally,

Susan Weeks, PMAC

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From:  Sharon Burkett, SAS Shoemakers
re:      SAS Shoes in Oregon
 
Dear Mrs. Trottier,

Thank you for your interest in SAS shoes.  We always enjoy hearing from our customers.

We have enclosed a list of store in Oregon that sell SAS products.  Should you be unable to find the size, color, size or width you need, any of the stores on the attached list can order for you.

If you and your husband are ever in San Antonio, please come by for a tour of our factory.  We would enjoy meeting you both and showing you how we make SAS shoes.

Sincerely,

Sharon Burkett
SAS Shoemakers
Casa Department

*_*   Editor's Note   *_*

I received a copy of the above email from SAS Customer Service to Brigitte Trottier along with the list of the 10 locations in Oregon where SAS shoes can be found.  I will be happy to forward that list to anyone who is interested.   ~ Gayle

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From:  David Le
re:      Non-invasive Vascular Studies

Dear Footzine,

I am a podiatry resident who will be graduating in June.  I plan to be practicing in Oklahoma and am interested in doing non-invasive vascular studies in my office.  I heard of some podiatrist who incorporate this into my practice and was wondering if you know of any information you have of incorporating it in my practice.

Thanks,

David Le


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"The day that you stop learning is the day that you start decreasing your rewards and start suffering from frustration and lower levels of satisfaction."  - Brian Tracy

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Acceptance of a product is greatly enhanced by relating to a patient how popular the particular product is amongst your other patients with similar or identical conditions.  Make it clear that if they want to return the product for any reason, they will be given a full refund without question.  It is rare that a patient will ask for a refund, or need the product to be replaced.  You should consider not imposing any time frame for this offer.  If a patient comes back six months after obtaining a product, you should gladly refund their money.  You can then contact the vendor and ask that they send a replacement product.  This is usually not a hassle, because most are smaller companies that rely on word of mouth for business.

You will find that you will frequently have people who are not patients come to your office to purchase a product, upon the recommendation of a patient.  Remember that your patients are out in the community spreading the word about you and your office.  Many of the people who present to your office for purchases may eventually make appointments to be seen as patients, because they are so happy with the services that you render.

Your web site is an effective tool for promoting your in-office dispensing program.  You can link common conditions with the products and treatment protocol.  For example, if the visitor to your web site were to click on “cracked heels” there would be a discussion on the condition, etiology and treatment plan, including the high-quality products available in your office for this condition.  You can mention several products that work together to provide relief of cracked heels, such as heel pads, creams and buffing pads.  Focus your web-based discussion on why these products are superior to those purchased in a local store.  The company that manufacturers or distributes the product may have a link to provide additional information on a particular product.
 
When visiting the offices of referring physicians, bring some products that would be appealing to their staff, such as Biofreeze and foot cream.  Simply let their staff know that you have found these products to be of great benefit to your patients and you would like to provide these gifts for them to try.  Again, present the products simply as part of your treatment plan for the particular condition you are discussing.  The holidays in December also provide a prime opportunity for you to put a basket of products together as a gift for a referring doctor and his staff.  They will try the products themselves, and introduce the products to their families. 

As mentioned above, you should not be fooled by misconceptions regarding patients.  They are willing to spend any money necessary in order to improve their health.  It is your job as the specialty practice to inform them of the products that are in fact necessary to their care.  In order to convince your patients that you know what is in their best interest, you must speak in a manner that is confident.  Even the patient that might appear unwilling to spend a great deal of money on orthotic devices may be willing to accept the treatment plan if he has faith in his physician and staff.  Your job as a health care provider is to gain this trust by giving the patient what they need to feel better, and reinforcing the importance of your treatment plan.


Previous "Gems" can be found on their own pages of the FootZine.com web site, at
http://www.footzine.com/FZ_90.htm

I always look forward to what the coming week brings to my Inbox, and sharing that with the rest of the group.  So whether a question, answer or comment, please feel free to write!

~ Gayle

Copyright 2004 Gayle S. Johnson. All Rights Reserved.
DISCLAIMER: Acceptance and publication of any letter, article, news item or advertisement does not necessarily constitute or imply approval or endorsement by myself of the product, idea, or content therein. I reserve the right to edit or to not publish any material received. Any letters published are the property of FootZine. Any health- or legal- and financial- related information is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as medical, legal or financial advice, or a substitute for the advice of a healthcare professional, attorney, financial advisor or any other consultant or professional. Information pertaining to legal matters should not perceived as legal advice, nor should discussion about such issues as Medicare, coding, and billing be considered as definitive. All content is presented as being only the opinions of the contributors and is for educational purposes only.

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