Should I discuss clinical findings at the exam visit or wait?
Wait, in almost every case. At the diagnostic visit you cover findings only in the broadest terms. What the patient needs to hear is simple: yes, you have some serious problems, but the good news is I believe I have solutions we can talk through next time that will really take care of this. That is it. If you dive into the clinical detail now, you damage the presentation and the patient’s decision making before you have even built the case for it. There is one exception. If you sense a real disconnect, the condition is major but the patient thinks it is nothing, then give a little more detail to set the stage. You do not want them coming back shocked that anything was wrong. Outside that, hold the clinical conversation. The findings have their moment, and that moment is the next visit, not this one.
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.