How to Get More Acupuncture Patient Referrals from MDs

(Pin this video to watch later.)

This article may contain affiliate links. Read more here 🙂

How to Get Acupuncture Patient Referrals from MDs

Welcome back, everyone!

I’m thrilled to interview Dr. Elie Cole for a second time, this time on video! Elie is an expert in getting more acupuncture patient referrals from MDs. In fact, she wrote her capstone research project for her DAOM on this topic.

Elie interviewed 12 MDs about how to best approach them and what to say to get them to refer patients for acupuncture. From her research, she discovered that a “lunch and learn” is THE most practical, effective way to get the attention of MDs.

Here’s the scoop: MDs are already used to being approached by others (like pharmaceutical reps) in this same context (a lunch and learn). So it fits into their day, it’s a format they’re familiar with, and you have their undivided attention.

So Elie took everything she learned from these MDs, put it into practice, found that it WORKED, and then packaged it into her incredible online course, Chinese Medicine Explained.

Inside Chinese Medicine Explained, Elie shares her step-by-step process for getting MDs to refer patients to you:

  • How to set up a lunch and learn
  • The exact PowerPoint she uses during lunch and learns
  • A video of her actually presenting it to doctors
  • And much more

So you get to see Elie’s entire process, including exactly how she explains the science behind acupuncture. This is one of the biggest roadblocks that acupuncturists report that prevents them from reaching out to MDs. By and large, we’re worried that the MDs will ask detailed questions about the research that we don’t know how to answer with confidence.

So Elie relieves this anxiety by sharing the EXACT research that she shares with doctors, and how she talks about it with them. And (spoiler alert!) she says that the MDs never grill her about the research – they aren’t on a mission to prove her wrong or embarrass anyone.

A few months ago, Elie and I did a written interview, where Elie shared quite a few tips and insights on A) how to get in front of MDs, and B) what to say when you have the opportunity. You can read that interview right here.

But this is such an important topic for our profession, and I had more questions for Elie. I wanted to get more in-depth!

So we recorded a video interview for you and it’s packed full of tips and advice on how to create strong relationships with MDs in your local area.

Acupuncture is at a crossroads in the US where it’s becoming more mainstream and accepted. We have an incredible opportunity to help more people feel better through acupuncture, and making connections with MDs is a powerful and efficient way to reach more patients.

I hope you enjoy this video interview!

In this interview, Elie and I talk about:

  • Are MDs actually interested in referring to acupuncturists?
  • What’s the best way to get in front of MDs so we can share about acupuncture?
  • What if you feel anxious about MDs asking you detailed questions about research?
  • Should you use acupuncture jargon (like the word Qi) when you speak with MDs?
  • What if you’re an introvert or public speaking makes you nervous?
  • And more!

Let’s dive in!

How to Get Acupuncture Patient Referrals from MDs with Elie Cole, DAOM:

Thanks for watching!

You can check out Elie’s course, Chinese Medicine Explained, right here.

And you can contact Elie with questions at elie@nourishingmedicine.com

Until next time! 🙂