Shifting ‘The Locus of Control’ Towards a True Partnership

By: Brad Weiss
This topic originally appeared on Pankey.org. Dr. Weiss granted permission for igniteDDS to share with our readers.

As a maximizer, I’m always tweaking processes to try to make things a little better. A few years back on the advice of a wise mentor, I made a small change to the last question I ask of patients in my Pre-Clinical Conversation.

This change required a dramatic difference in how I view my “job” for patients.  

A Powerful Pre-Clinical Conversation Question

For years, I thought I was so unique to finish my time in the consult room with the question:

“Is there anything else I should know about you to take good care of you?”

Patients genuinely seemed to appreciate that question. I felt great about the responses I got, almost always along the lines of,

“Nobody has ever asked me these types of questions!”  

A few years back, I was diving deeper on Locus of Control of Oral Health with my small growth group, The Sinking Stones. I was hoping to help my patients increase ownership of their condition and shift the “locus of control” from the doctor/expert (tell me what to do, when, and how) toward a true partnership (I can be the expert of the technical pieces, but you are the expert of you).  

The elegance of this transfer relies on our ability to do so without the patient feeling abandoned and unguided. I was gently reminded by Dr. Rich Green that a small change to that question could help frame the relationship differently right off the bat.

My new question is:

“Is there anything I should know about you to work well with you?”

Rather than facilitating a dependent/top-down/expert doctor relationship, I now have a much better chance of a patient understanding how important it is for me to be in partnership with them.

I can look them in the eye and tell them my healthiest patients are those that view me as their partner. This is better than looking for “experts” to tell them when it is appropriate to take on a particular procedure or make a decision for them without knowing their temperament, circumstances, and objectives.  

Though I love taking care of people, a change in those four words has allowed me to do so in a partnership according to the context of the patient’s life. If you want to learn strategies to better know your patients and foster the doctor-patient partnership, I recommend The Pankey Institute, the one place for relationship-based connections to improve patient care and advance your knowledge with tailored courses for your needs.

Dr. Brad Weiss

Dr. Brad Weiss

Dr. Weiss first earned a B.A. in Biology and moved on to Indiana University‘s School of Dentistry in Indianapolis where he was awarded the Dentsply International Merit Award for Prosthodontics. Following dental school, Dr. Weiss practiced in Kenilworth and Winnetka and gained experience with Lasers, Computer-Aided Design, and Machined Dentistry. He continued his education at the L.D. Pankey Institute in Florida and is honored to be a part of the Visiting Faculty since 2008. He has also been co-facilitating a study group for dentists interested in developing relationship-based dental offices in Vancouver, B.C. since 2010. He was inducted as a Fellow into the prestigious American College of Dentists in 2012. Dr. Weiss has held a staff appointment at Evanston Hospital where he oversees residents in Restorative Dentistry since 2004. He was a delegate for the Illinois State Dental Society from 2006-2008. Currently, he serves on the Chicago Dental Society’s mediation committee.