Suzi Plank, vice president of corporate services for Progressive Diagnostic Imaging (PDI), Long Beach, Calif

Reports of findings and x-rays are important tools in patient education and retention. For busy chiropractors who want to present polished reports, Progressive Diagnostic Imaging (PDI) provides this service at no cost to doctors. Suzi Plank, PDI’s vice president of corporate services, has spent 15 years providkng technical and management services to health care providers, specializing in radiology and neurology. Chiropractic Products asked Plank how DCs can use this service to build their practices.

How can DCs attract new patients, retain current ones and get more referrals by using diagnostic reports?
Patients, as well as their insurers and attorneys, through long experience with the medical community, are accustomed to having diagnostic tests with the reports provided by outside specialists. Chiropractors who incorporate and fully utilize the information provided by the diagnostic reports are better able to substantiate the higher level of their professionalism and treatment.

What are the diagnostic services offered by PDI? How is this offered at no cost?
PDI provides three comprehensive reports to the doctor: 1) fully referenced digitized spinal analyses; 2) biomechanic reports, which may include American Medical Association guide impairment ratings; and 3) pathology reports by board-certified radiologists. There is no cost to the referring doctor. Insurers and attorneys recognize the value of the results.

What patented technology is used?
PDI is the sole owner of unique patented technology that delivers photographic reproductions of the patient’s x-ray image with complete mensuration and markings displayed. This enables the images to be printed in a specialized technological format next to comparatively normal images for contrast and comparison.

Tell us about PDI’s commitment to the chiropractic profession.
PDI is focused on providing chiropractic doctors access to state-of-the-art technology and information, reports, services, and tools to enable them to contain their costs and limit their liabilities while providing optimal care to their patients.

What do you see for the future of chiropractic?
The practice of chiropractic will continue to grow and evolve. Technology, as with many other fields, will be a factor. Documentation and studies proving the efficacy of chiropractic, along with continuing and increasing levels of cooperation and communication with the allopathic medical community will fuel this evolution. CP