Since introducing the world’s first Chiropractic foot scanner, the FAS Scan (or Foot Analysis System) in 2001, Foot Levelers has endeavored to push the technology forward. The 3-D Kiosk we have come to know more recently was originally introduced in 2017. The current version of the scanner is the product of multiple versions where each one has been an improvement upon its predecessor. The Kiosk is truly state-of-the-art.
I made the switch from foam casting to scanning after the FAS Scan was introduced in 2001. I have had the opportunity to use each of the following iterations of the scanner as they have been released. As an early adopter of scanning technology through the 21 years of its existence, I have enjoyed watching it become an extremely powerful patient education tool. I have also been impressed to see how the ease of use and functionality has improved.
The Kiosk has allowed my orthotic prescriptions and patient interest to skyrocket. The casting kits are useful but cannot convey the same visual information to the patient that the scanning software of the Kiosk possesses. I was very skilled at my foam casting, as many of you are. But two feet depressing flesh-colored foam do not have nearly the impact that seeing the image of the foot in multiple colors on a computer screen has. The Kiosk simply impresses patients and provides take-home knowledge they can refer to and show others.
Many of you are already experiencing how the Kiosk can help your patients and your clinic. Our goal is to help you get the most out of the scanning technology for your clinic. So let’s talk about some ideas and best practices to ensure you are using the Kiosk to its fullest potential.
Placement of the Kiosk in Your Clinic:
Think about the areas in your clinic that get the most foot traffic. It is different for all of us depending on our layout, setup, and how large or small our office space is. It might be the front reception area, a busy hallway, or your exam room. Wherever your most visible location is, that is where your Kiosk should be. You want as many people to walk by and see it as possible. People are naturally curious. If you don’t tell them what it is, they will ask.
We often suggest that you put your Kiosk in the front office and that is where I moved mine in 2017. I realize some of you have a small front reception/office area so you don’t think you can fit it there. Consider the fact that the Kiosk only takes up the space of an average office chair. If at all possible, at least try placing the Kiosk in the front office and see if you can fit it and if it is aesthetically pleasing. If it truly does not work, then look for the next highest traffic zone in the clinic.
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What are the advantages of placing the Kiosk in your high-traffic area?
- Increased visibility for patients and staff. It is easy for the front desk staff to point out the Kiosk and tell the patient to hop on and scan themselves. The staff is also close by to offer assistance or suggestions in case the patients need them.
- Patients who want to drop into your clinic without an appointment and get scanned or re-scanned so they can reorder custom orthotics can walk right in and step on the footplates.
- Family or friends who are accompanying a patient and are interested in learning about their own feet can step on the Kiosk and go through the process for themselves.
- “Wow Factor” of seeing a piece of technology sitting in your office in a place of prominence. Aside from it just looking high-tech, the Kiosk has screens that have engaging patient education material continuously playing on them all day. The Kiosk is just asking for someone to step on it and move through the screens.
Scan Every New Patient:
The most effective way of getting the most out of your scanning technology is simply to scan EVERYONE on their first visit. There is no other way of saying this any more clearly. The more people you scan and educate on the Kiosk, the more they understand how their foot function affects their whole body. Additionally, the Report of Findings reinforces how chiropractic care combined with custom orthotics improves patient outcomes and health. The more people you scan, the more custom orthotics your patients will order, and the better they could feel.
One of the most common questions that arise is whether to scan the patient before or after you treat them.
Scan the patient as part of their intake protocol:
Some of you have your new patients check in at the front desk, complete the patient intake forms and then hop on the Kiosk. No matter if the patient is presenting with plantar fasciitis or headaches, scanning is built into the procedure. It happens every time and never gets missed. The doctor is then handed a printout of the scan to discuss with the patient at the ROF. It’s a great way to do it, but it’s not the only way.
Scan the patient before they leave the office:
I have always scanned my patients on the way out of the office before they check out at the reception desk. I do my exam, explain the patient’s condition, educate them about the feet as the body’s foundation and then get them treated chiropractically. Once I have adjusted and aligned the patient, I lead them out to my Kiosk and take them through the scanning process. I enjoy being there to explain what is happening with their feet and arches on the scanner screens. My staff then takes over to close out the visit, discuss cost, and answer questions.
I personally like to have my patient adjusted before I scan them. Does it change the readings? No, it does not to any appreciable degree. I just want my patients adjusted so their 26 foot bones are aligned when I have them stand on the Kiosk. I want their feet as perfect as I can get them so I get a nice, clean scan illustrating the foot’s deficiencies.
Either way is right and neither way is wrong. So pick what you want to do and be consistent with it. Either way, scanning every patient consistently will bring you success.
The Standard Scan vs. the Fast Scan: which do you choose?
Kiosk users have a new option that has not existed until recently. Traditionally, the patient moves through the screens and ends up with a full Report of Findings that they can view on the display of the scanner. Many of you have been using this type of scan because it is all we ever had. Some of you understand the value of all the information presented in the standard scan, but you have wanted a faster scanning option.
Now, Foot Levelers has created a Fast Scan option that will literally scan your patient’s feet in 60 seconds. After inputting the name, email, birthdate, height, weight, and shoe size, the scanner does its thing, and the patient is done. The Report of Findings gets sent to the doctor so it can be discussed with the patient.
So which option you choose depends entirely on the type of office you run and the demand of that particular patient at that time. Traditional scans do have more screens and take longer, but I use this option to explain my entire ROF as I move through each screen. The scanner is telling the patient their story, so I use the technology to show the patient their body and how their three arches play an important role in that.
The Fast Scan option is ideal for practices that see a lot of patients where scans just need to be completed quickly so they can be stored and accessed at a later time. This option also works well for established patients who want a new pair of custom flexible orthotics and want to update their scan since it has been longer than 2 years.
The Report of Findings:
Even though the ROF is literally two screens (or pages), it is jam-packed with tons of information that you can choose to use in full or part. Your unique style and presentation skills come out when you talk about the information in this section. Keep in mind that what you discuss here has one ultimate goal: Educate the patient about their need for custom flexible orthotics and how they will enhance your chiropractic care and their overall health.
Here are some ideas:
Pronation/Stability Index (PSI): 1st line of the ROF Box and bottom left on the color graph
The numbers don’t lie. The bigger the PSI value, the worse the arch collapse. I always point out that 125 is the threshold for severe foot pronation and let the patient see what their number is. This is also a convenient time to reference their colorized feet and the colors they see. The more red, the flatter the arch and the higher the PSI value. The PSI and the colorized feet really leave an impression on the patient and on you as the Doctor.
Arch Height Difference: 2nd line of the ROF box and center-bottom next to the PSI
I reference the two color bars at the bottom of the page to show how one foot’s cumulative arch height is higher. In the ROF box, you can then see a numerical value for the arch height difference between the two feet. What you can focus on in this section is that the arch height difference between both feet should be less than or equal to one. The higher the number, the more disparity between the arch heights of the two feet.
Left to Right Balance: 3rd line of the ROF box and below the feet of the crooked person diagram
It’s entertaining to watch people’s facial expressions when they realize they are not putting equal pressure on both feet. Normally patients will say something like “I thought I was standing the same on both feet”. I point out the percentages first by looking below the Crooked Person diagram. I ask them to guess which foot had more pressure on the footplate to see how correct they are. Again, we should observe the left-to-right balance difference should be less than 1%. The higher the percentage of disparity, the more you can see the stress patterns in their body.
This is an excellent time to explain to the patient that like an eyeglass prescription where the two eyes require different correction, a person’s left and right foot dysfunction may not be the same. Off-the shelf orthotics available in retail stores and online (even those described as custom) typically have the same correction for both feet. For healthy alignment, patients need custom flexible orthotics made just for them and their individual correction needs. Otherwise, their pain could be even worse and the success of your chiropractic care could be impacted.
Kinetic “Chain Reaction” or Crooked Person Diagram:
If you have not shown the patient the Crooked Person diagram by now, then it is gift-wrapped for you here. It takes into consideration the foot with the higher percentage of pressure and how it affects the rest of the body. It’s a typical Crooked Person diagram you and I are accustomed to seeing but it is personalized slightly for that patient to support your belief that adjustments combined with proper 3-arch, custom flexible orthotics are the main part of the treatment plan going forward.
I hope this article provides you with some tangible information that you can implement immediately. Most of you have a familiarity with the Kiosk so it’s just a matter of using it more and more so you develop your flow and presentation that is consistent and repeatable with every patient.
The Kiosk has revolutionized the efficacy and skill level that I have in explaining and prescribing custom orthotics in my office. The technology offers me a reliable way of educating the patients and they trust the technology that keeps improving with time.
Dr. Kevin M. Wong, DC is a graduate of the University of California, Davis, and a 1996 Summa Cum Laude graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic West. He has been in practice for over 25 years and is the owner of Orinda Chiropractic & Laser Center in Orinda, CA.
As a member of Foot Levelers Speakers Bureau since 2004, Dr. Wong travels the country speaking on extremity and spinal adjusting. See upcoming events with Dr. Wong and other Foot Levelers speakers at footlevelers.com/seminars. Check out his monthly blogs with proven practice tips to help you achieve optimal patient outcomes.
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