From: Dr. Margolies

Surveys

This past week, I gave my Life University class a survey to grade my performance as an instructor 
and the contents of the class as a whole. I asked them what areas need improvement and where 
they feel the class should or can go from here. As important, I asked them what they feel they will 
use from the class content .. in other words .. was our two hours together useful. 

In the realm of office and patient management a survey has many roles. It allows you an 
opportunity to educate patientžs who are in a fog about their being there prior to their dropping out 
.. it clues you to patient interest for future office workshops .. it allows them an opportunity to 
refer someone to your office or you to theirs .. it helps with risk management if the questions 
include their level of patient satisfaction and comments .. it also allows you a moment of quality 
time with each patient to have that „safety netū for any of their concerns and needs. Patient surveys 
can be found in Chapter 5 pages 159-166 of my Smart Start Book. There also are maintenance 
questionnaires on pages 28-30. 

If you use a survey for community public relations and marketing the purpose remains the same. 
What better way to get the pulse of your community than to ask. We always hear about the political 
pollster. Lou Harris .. CNN/Time poll .. we hear about these all the time. Why do politician pay 
for a pollster? .. the answer is simple .. they want to know what their public is thinking of. How 
can they be a solution to their problems .. how can they fix what needs fixing and leave well 
enough alone .. how can they reach the proper people to service better and quell any upsets before 
they begin. Simply they want to be re-elected. The same is true for you .. you want to assist your 
patientžs as well as their family .. friends .. co-workers .. fellow church members .. car pool 
buddies .. school mates .. if not .. why be in the health care business if not to be available to 
provide care .. when you are overwhelmed with patients refer them to a fellow DC .. but letžs get 
to that point first. Community surveyžs can be found in Chapter 2 pages 43-47

Today .. as you read this .. can you tell me if any aspect of your community would love a postural 
screening .. a workshop on ergonomics or stress management (remember stress has four 
components .. physical .. mental .. chemical .. and for us .. neurological) .. a safety walk through 
and your ergonomic and safety evaluation for a local warehouse .. a municipal proposal to help 
with the chiropractic needs of your civil servants .. police .. fire .. sanitation .. clerks .. teachers .. 
etc. .. if your local health food store .. health spa .. or allied health care providers would welcome 
combining efforts with you for a community health fair .. health explosion .. or whatever you wish 
to call it? .. how would you know .. unless you ask.

A survey is a must if you are just starting out or wish to add more dimension to an active practice. 
But be aware that when you meet the public face to face or ask your patientžs for their blunt 
opinion and comments that some may be less than desirable. Part of life is accepting the good with 
the bad .. letting the negative flow off you like oil on water .. and learning that the good and 
positive far outweigh the heaviness of the negative few. You have to accept comments and learn 
from them but be aware that the world is made of many fabrics.  

Every quarter I ask my class for their comments. These surveys are my own .. not the schoolžs 
usual student class evaluation. I donžt ask for names but I ask everyone kind enough to complete a 
survey to be honest. Fortunately .. 90% of the surveys are very positive and I appreciate this 
greatly. 10% of the returned surveys may be critical of my style of teaching .. I always tell them 
that I am not a teacher per se .. but a talker .. if they listen they may learn something .. in oter 
worts i ainžt no pedagogic xpurt  .. just sharing my long term experience with them.


So .. with the good .. you must accept and work with the bad. For instance .. you may have a 
patient you felt you were helping tremendously .. but their comments indicate that they still have 
the same problem and they havenžt felt better since they began care. Will this stifle your energy .. 
divert it to the tributary called malaise which will diminish your power for others? You may ask a 
patient if they can tell you what a subluxation is (you are .. at least going over this with each new 
patient .. I hope) .. or if they can explain to you what their problem is .. and their reply is no better 
than a person walking past your office who has never been to a chiropractor. Will this shock you .. 
make you angry .. frustrate the heck out of you? .. it should .. but if you never asked them and a 
few others how would you know to change the way you explain what you do .. or how can you 
expect a patient to refer their friend who needs chiropractic badly when they have no clue why they 
should and how it may help.

So .. next week I will read a survey to my from a disgruntled student that made some extremely 
unkind statements about me personally .. about the class contents .. about my text .. in general he 
or she took out their frustrations and negative outlook on life and vented their spleen on me. Now 
.. considering that the vast majority of the surveys were overwhelming positive .. should I accept 
this one survey as the reason to doubt myself .. to be less powerful in my class presentation .. to 
lessen my resolve to provide every student willing to open their minds .. eyes .. ears an 
opportunity to have a raging head start towards success than most other students in every 
chiropractic college in the country (which is my goal) .. no way .. in fact I will read every word 
from this personžs survey to my class next week as an illustration that we have choices .. if I so 
choose I can accept the slings that were slung at me and have the arrows penetrate my purpose and 
accomplish what this individual set out to do .. hurt me and lessen my ability to reach my goal .. or 
.. I can accept the negative for what it is .. a negative amongst overwhelming positive and carry 
on. We always have choices in life and especially in practice. We are in the people business and 
people can be cruel .. insurance companies may not accept your expertise  .. an attorney may make 
mince meat out of you in a deposition .. a patient you have given every ounce of assistance and 
love to doesnžt get well .. or worse you may be the subject of a lawsuit .. whatever .. survey the 
horizon .. has their been multitudes of positive and a sprinkle of negative here and there .. the 
positive is always your source of strength. So .. if you ask you may be told .. a survey will help 
your practice only if you use it and work with the results and accept the comments as a means of 
growth.

If you wish a copy of my Smart Start book you can purchase a copy from Koren Publications, DE, 
Parker or call Heather at my office at 770-491-3639. The book is sold for $59.95.

If you are close to the Atlanta area, I want to remind you about the Patient Appreciation Evening at 
the Cobb Galleria Centre March 5th at 7:30. Tickets are for you and your patients .. and can be 
purchased for $10 by contacting Dr. Philip Hurd at 770-455-6767 or e-mail him at 
Hurdof5@aol.com. Dr. patrick Gentempo is the featured speaker and they expect 1000 
chiropractors, guests and patients attending. Be part of this power source. 

Dr. M