What is a patient’s pain motivation and how do I find it?
The pain motivation is the real reason this person showed up, and it is the single most useful thing you can learn at the consult. Ask plainly, what motivated you to come see us today? They may repeat what they told you on the phone, they may say the same thing differently, or they may come out of far right field with a brand new reason. Whatever it is, write it down, because it points the whole treatment discussion. You get a few chances to surface this across the process, but the consultation is your last major shot at it. There is one more random opportunity at the diagnostic appointment, but do not count on it. Think of it like a doctor chasing the actual complaint instead of treating whatever shows up on the chart. Find the pain, and you will know what care really matters to them.
If the answers you are finding here resonate with you, my team and I work with a small group of clients each year. The next step is a complimentary Discovery Consultation and Practice Review with Dr. McAnally.