Do your patients trust you?

This week on the podcast, we’re digging into the art of building trust—one of the biggest challenges in a cash-based clinic. Denzil reflects on a powerful conversation she had with David Bruton, owner of Between the Lines Physical Therapy in Denver, about what it takes to truly earn your patients’ confidence outside the traditional insurance model.

Through David’s story, Denzil unpacks key lessons on delivering value-driven care, guiding patients through the ins and outs of insurance reimbursements, and remembering building your caseload takes time. 

Have your own strategies for building trust in your clinic? We’d love to hear from you! Send in your thoughts and join the conversation.

And, if you’d like to get the Letter from the Editor delivered straight to your inbox each week, be sure to sign up for the written newsletter!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hey, welcome back to Radio Front Desk.
You know that feeling whensomeone says you've got to try
this and just like that you'resold that right there.
That's the power of a goodrecommendation.
As human beings, we're wired totrust things that come endorsed
by others.
But here's a question I've beenthinking about lately how do

(00:22):
you get people to trust you evenbefore they know you?
Building trust from the groundup is not easy, but it's
definitely possible.
Just ask David Bruton.
David owns Between the LinesPhysical Therapy in Denver,
colorado, and when he firstopened his clinic he had to make
a big decision Should heoperate as an in-network clinic

(00:43):
in terms of insurance, or gocash-based?
For anyone unfamiliar withthose terms, here's the gist
being in-network means workingwith insurance companies.
Patients give you theirinsurance details and you submit
their claims and get reimbursed.
On the other hand, a cash-basedclinic skips insurance entirely
and patients pay you directlyout of their pocket for your

(01:07):
services.
What's tricky is that bothoptions come with their own
challenges.
But for David, the decisioncame down to three big factors
how to manage patient volume,how to protect his time as a
parent of two and how to dodgethe paperwork that comes with
working in that work.
Or, as David puts it, whatwould give me the best

(01:27):
opportunity to remain a dad.
That clarity led him to choosethe cash based model.
But another part of theinsurance versus cash based
debate that sometimes getsoverlooked is the element of
trust building.
When you work with insurance,you have this built in referral
system.
Patients often trust in networkproviders because, in their
minds, if the insurance companyworks with them, they must be

(01:49):
legit.
But when you opt out of thatsystem, the trust-building work
falls entirely on you.
That's why I want to share afew things that David has
learned about building trust inhis clinic, because I think
these are lessons that apply toany practitioner, no matter
where you're located.
First, demonstrate value.

(02:10):
This is a non-negotiable forDavid.
For a cash-based model to work,your results need to speak for
themselves.
David puts it perfectly when hesays quote you want to provide
the level of value wherepatients think this is great,
I'm actually getting better,faster and paying less than if I
went the traditional route.

(02:31):
Outcomes are everything.
If patients see real, tangibleprogress, better results than
they'd get elsewhere, the costsstart to feel justified.
More than that, it starts tofeel worthwhile.
Start to feel justified.
More than that it starts tofeel worthwhile.
For David, this means putting asharp focus on personalized
care, faster recovery times andhigher levels of patient

(02:53):
attention.
Oh, and here's anotherimportant reminder from David
Don't undervalue yourself.
Your prices they should reflectthe quality of the care you're
providing.
Your prices they should reflectthe quality of the care you're
providing.
Second, be the teacher.
I think an informed patient isa happy patient.
So even if you're not dealingwith insurance directly, having

(03:14):
a basic understanding of it canmake a world of difference for
your clients.
Insurance isn't the easiestthing to wrap your head around.
Many people don't know the insand outs of how it works and,
honestly, who can blame them.
But that's where you step in.
You can guide them byexplaining how out-of-network
benefits work, walk them throughwhat a super bill is and even

(03:35):
help them understand thereimbursement process.
Breaking it down like thismakes a huge difference.
The more informed your patientsare, the more confident they'll
feel choosing your clinic.
At David's clinic, they takepatient education seriously.
His team creates clear,easy-to-digest resources, from
email explainers to in-officegraphics, all with the goal of

(03:57):
helping patients understand thevalue they're getting with a
cash-based care at his clinic.
Third and this is a big one.
Have patience.
David will tell you himself.
Trust isn't built overnight.
He shared with me that it takesa few months to build your
caseload at a cash-based clinic,especially a new one.
It's easy to feel discouragedin those early months when

(04:20):
referrals aren't pouring in likethey might with an in-networked
system.
But for David, persistence paidoff.
By delivering consistent,high-quality care and getting
involved in his local community,david turned those first few
patients into loyal clients.
Over time, those clients becameadvocates, recommending his
clinic to their friends, familyand beyond.

(04:43):
Now, before we wrap up, here'swhat I want you to take away.
Building trust isn't aboutshortcuts or quick fixes.
It's about consistently showingup in ways that matter.
Whether you're a cash-basedclinic, like David, or working
with insurance, it's how youconnect with your patients that
will truly set you apart, and Ithink that's a pretty inspiring

(05:03):
challenge to take on, don't you?
So what's been your biggestchallenge when it comes to
building trust with your clients?
Do you have a different way ofapproaching it?
I really would love to hearyour thoughts.
Thanks for hanging out with meUntil next time.
Keep doing what you do best.
You got this.