As I am sure you have come to realize Dr. D and Ed spoke to very well. The question really is what is in the patient's best interest in the actual world we live in as opposed to the chiropractic utopia that we all know would be more ideal. For me it is no different than tailoring messages according to DISC in gauging how big a bite of the chiropractic story can the person in front of you digest in one sitting. I understand the one side of the story being that we don't want to sell the patient short because maybe they can handle a bigger bite. But most like a morsel at a time. I think that a website with info has worked well for us. Mine went up just a few months ago and it is interesting to see who shoots me a comment or question from time to time. The other thing that I will begin doing shortly (finally) is in office education evenings every other week. My gut approach is to provide avenues to relay info and let the patient at least come part way so you now who wants a larger portion. I think particularly the in office education idea if you are not already doing it may be a good way to provide you an outlet and the patients an opportunity to 'tell the story'. I agree with Ed with the biggest place being at the table in the course of the adjustment. If they have subluxations in areas that usually upset the digestive system I will usually ask if their stomach has been doing alright lately. Often it will be a "how did you know?" and then I make the connection for them so they know for the next understand why they should come back the next day even though their only symptom is constipation. Same goes for sore throats, ear infections, etc. and all the other connections that we are all aware of but most of our patients are not. I find when 'the story' is fed to them in a practical manner at a time where they are prone to see the impact of an adjustment on a visceral condition it has the greatest effect. Concept alone is a tougher sell regardless of truth, as Dr. Bates alluded to. When I get the opening to connect the dots for their issue of the moment I usually rattle off a short list of various conditions to utilize the moment. Any immune system issue I always tie to kids and mention that that is the main thing that most parents bring in their children for thereby reinforcing immune system and children should get adjusted. Short and targeted and relevant to the patient at that time. Definitely one of the perks of open adjusting is relaying that information to typically several people at once but better one at a time than not at all.
Bottomline is that prophet centered practice are not the ideal because they will repell as many if not more patients than it will attract. So is everyone that leaves better off because the few become uber chiro junkies? Obviously not. As I have told many patients that mention their or someone elses "belief" or not in chiropractic, the beauty of chiropractic is that it is not a religion so belief is not required for it to work short of believing enough to simply show up. Ideal? No but are the patients that show up to get fixed to get THEIR needs met worth it? Absolutely. Everytime they come back they are exposed again to chiropractic. When will the message stick? Who knows, if at all but that is what I see as taking care of our half of the relationship. Always there and always ready to help as much as the patient wants to be helped. In many ways it takes the pressure off. As Dr. Frank says, we can not be attached to the response and that is where prophet center can go bad. The response, not the message. This whole process is just a series of revelations, isn't cool!