A patient suffering from constant low back pain makes an appointment to see her family doctor. During consultation, her doctor recommends that she seek the expertise of a neurosurgeon. Upon hearing “neurosurgeon,” the patient is full of questions and asks whether her pain is serious enough to warrant back surgery. The doctor turns to an AANS patient education brochure on low back pain. Using the brochure, the doctor walks the patient through her options showing the spine photos to illustrate areas of concern, directs her to the non-surgical and surgical back pain options and recommends she review the brochure further to familiarize herself with common neurosurgical terms associated with low back pain. The patient takes the brochure home with her. After reading the information, she is more at ease with her condition and how a neurosurgeon might help her. She is ready to schedule an initial consultation with a board-certified neurological surgeon.
The low back pain brochure in this scenario is one of several in a new line of educational brochures developed specifically for patients. Each full-color brochure, written by members of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, specifies in detail the most important information to know about a particular disorder, the treatment options available (including surgical and non-surgical treatments), what to expect after surgery, and a convenient glossary of neurosurgical terminology. The line also includes a brochure on neurosurgery in general and another on neck pain, while topics for future brochures include carpal tunnel syndrome and hydrocephalus.
“Patients are often overwhelmed and nervous about asking their doctors the right questions to fully understand a disorder,” said AANS Public Relations Chair Ron Warnick, MD. “These brochures arm patients with credible information written by neurosurgeons.”
In addition to dispelling the common misconception among the general public that neurosurgeons only perform brain surgery, the patient education brochures help deliver the message that neurosurgeons specialize in care of the entire central nervous system including the spine, peripheral nerves and brain. While neurosurgeons understand the complexities of the specialty, the public in most instances does not.
Generating Referrals
Patient education brochures also are effective at showing primary care physicians, emergency room physicians and other healthcare professionals how patients can benefit when they are referred to neurosurgeons. Educating referring physicians is especially important in light of the fact that more medical specialties are treating patients for disorders most commonly treated by neurosurgeons. Orthopedic surgeons are increasingly recognized for their role in treating back pain, and plastic surgeons for carpal tunnel syndrome, for example. Neurosurgeons can help deliver the neurosurgical message to referring physicians by sending them a cover letter and sample brochures, complete with neurosurgical practice or hospital contact information stamped on the brochure. “With an AANS patient education brochure in their offices, physicians are more likely to refer to a neurosurgeon,” added Dr. Warnick.
Marketing Your Practice and Your Profession
There are a number of ways for AANS members to use the brochures to their advantage. Most importantly, the brochures are useful during patient consultations. Members also can display the brochures in their office reception area, encouraging patients to take more than one and pass them along to friends, family, co-workers or neighbors. But patient education brochures can be used any time there is a need for clearly written, accurate information about neurosurgery and neurosurgical disorders in an attractive package.
- Resources for New Office Staff The brochures are convenient resources to get staff up to speed on neurosurgical terminology and the most commonly treated neurosurgical disorrders.
- Public Speaking As a complement to a talk at a health fair, career day or other forum, brochures can be handed out or provided to interested people.
- Public Relations Include the brochures as part of your practice’s media kit or send them to media representatives as part of public relations activities for AANS, hospitals or universities.
- Medical Student Outreach Use the brochures to help inform medical students about the broad scope of neurosurgery.
“The brochures are excellent resources for any neurosurgery office,” said Dr. Warnick. “It is our obligation to provide patients with the most informative and patient-friendly’ neurosurgical literature available.”
Heather Monroe is the AANS director of communications.