05/07/2015    David Zuckerman, DPM

ESWCT Coverage (Elliot Udell, DPM)

I agree with Dr. Udell's comment about making
smart business decisions, when purchasing any
type of equipment for your practice.

Presenting procedures in the best interest of
the patient is our profession. We need to stop
referring to ourselves or other doctors as
"crackerjack salesmen" when presenting a
procedure to our patients. We need to recall
and realize as doctors we are educators. We
educate our patients in the best manner
possible. We draw, we show pictures, we listen
and LOOK to see if our patients understand our
recommendations. We guide them to the right
procedure with or without insurance coverage.

For patients to proceed with procedures that
are elective or paid out of pocket they must
totally trust the physician, the technology and
have high faith in a positive outcome. The
doctor’s knowledge, honesty, and willingness to
take time to fully educate the patient is
crucial in helping the patient choose the best
treatment plan.

We need to ask our self, how much effort we
really put into learning just how the equipment
works? What can it do to really help our
patients? Are there other doctors that can
advise us on how to use the equipment? Are
there societies we can join to increase our
education on this topic?

I was amazed at how little attendance there was
at the International Society for Musculature
Shockwave Therapy (ISMST) over the years. We as
doctors must only present procedures that have
stood the test of time or are proven effective
in quality trials. We must educate ourselves
1000 times over so we can be the best educator
and advocate to our patients. When did
insurance companies start to tell us how to
advocate? We must stop making ROI our first
line of thinking with medical devices. It is
important, but most important is how will the
procedure help our patients achieve a better
life? It’s that simple.

David Zuckerman, DPM, Cherry Hill, NJ

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