From wikipedia: In July 2016, Bupa and HBF signed a heads of agreement to join nib as investors and participants in expanding the Whitecoat healthcare provider platform. With the participation by Bupa and HBF along with foundation investor nib,
Whitecoat will increase its reach to approximately six million Australians.
The reviews on Whitecoat are anonymous, a requirement of AHPRA, the Australian Health Practioners Registration Agency
I see some problems with anonymous reviews. An unscrupulous provider can ask all of their friends to write fabulous reviews.
Conversely, someone can give negative reviews without having tried your services
I was surprised to find that I have quite a few reviews on whitecoat, even though not a single new client has said they found out about me on whitecoat!
What happens with the participating health funds, nib, BUPA and HBF, is that after clients make a claim, they are prompted to review that practitioner. There is a whitecoat app, apparently.
Whitecoat tried to sell me the notion of connecting my profile to my online booking system for $179 a month. My online booking system only cost $22 a month. Since I haven't had
any referrals from Whitecoat, I could not see any value in the proposition, so declined. I thought you might be interested in whitecoat's reaction, which was to move my profile to the bottom of the list
of providers in Rockingham! Really classy! They are trying to become the Tripadvisor of the health industry and charge practitioners an arm and a leg for listing with them.
I will be monitoring the situation with interest, but I did send them some feedback! When you Google 'Remedial Massage Rockingham', whitecoat does not come up, whereas on the google map, I get listed at the top, so why I should pay top dollar with whitecoat?
The following are all verbatim extracts from emails sent to me
Feedback via my facebook page received September 2014
From someone with Fibromyalgia
I went to see Arthur because I was in so much pain from a whiplash injury.
After one session I could turn my neck with significantly less pain and stiffness. But I also noticed feeling better in general, more alert and energetic. It seemed like there was a flow on effect through the rest of my body, I have Fibromyalgia so live with chronic pain and this relief was a surprise.
I went back for a second longer session and again had great results with pain relief, daily headaches less debilitating and I feel better mentally. I've tried everything under the sun to manage my Fibromyalgia and its definitely trial and error in finding what helps. For me its a combination of many things and now Arthur is one of them!
It's been a few weeks where my flare ups have been shorter and less debilitating but I'm feeling the muscle tension creep back and the headaches and joint pain get worse. So its time for a tune up I techniques think ;-). Arthur's techniques have been of such benefit to me that I wanted to take the time to leave a review, and praise is not something I'm overly generous with! I also like his attitude about having fair prices (they are the best I've come across... I've paid much more at a beauty salon for a massage with no therapeutic value at all!).
He also works long hours which makes it easy to get in if there's an emergency and he's both professional and friendly.
Testimonials / Feedback received April 2014
Feedback from someone who had a massage when 39 weeks pregnant:
I feel amazingly better after yesterday!!! I'm a little tender in the sorest areas but I am moving a lot more freely than before.... thanks soooo much!! See you next week!
Mr and Mrs Y:
We came to you both in pain. My Husband so tight in his back that at times he was not able to turn his head, years of hard work as a carpentry, an injury as a teenage and a lot of neglect.
After one treatment with you he has movement he has not had for years.
Myself constant head aches, regular Migraines and lower back I have carried for at least 16 years. Again one treatment and I have NO lower back pain for the first time since I can't remember when and absolutely no headache or neck tension.
I am so impressed I have already handed your number to two other people.
Thank you and see you soon for Maintenance.
Hi Arthur,
Just a short note to thank you for the treatment that you carried out during my first visit on Friday last week.
The pain to the left-hand side of my neck has been considerably reduced - in fact, some days I don't recall any pain at all.
I shall certainly recommend you to others who may need similar help.
Relief from symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome
Hi Arthur,
I want to say a big thank you for treating my carpal tunnel in both wrists. As a right handed person I could barely pick up anything in that hand & my left hand wasn’t far behind it. Plus being in constant pain my mood was very low even any pain medication wasn’t working. I was sleep deprived from the severe pain & was lucky to get an hours straight sleep per night.
I was sent to a surgeon who after x-rays and consultation informed me that I would need both hands surgically treated.
The surgeon told me even after surgery the condition may return. The surgeon suggested I get the surgery for both hands done at the same time, this was to save me 6 weeks in recovery time. That was the most ridiculous thing that I had ever heard of as I would have to get a family member (who would need to take time off work) stay home with me & assist me with all my daily living activities.
My husband suggested I come and visit you, thankfully I took his advice. I have not needed any surgery at all on both my hands, I only need to come see you for maintenance now and again. I do not suffer from the severe pain I was in and can now recognise when I need to come to you for a check up.
I would recommend anyone with carpal tunnel to come see you first, they won’t be disappointed with the immediate results.
Thanks again Arthur.
Relief from shoulder and back pain
Hiya Arthur,
My shoulder and back are much better thanks, I had the OSH person at work help me with my desk/chair setup and I've been actively doing the exercises you gave me and standing tall. Work has a therapist in next week to do some more OSH stuff with me too.
Cheers
Relief from tingling in arms.
I didn't have time to fully address all issues for the following client in one appointment, but in scheduling a follow up appointment, the client emailed the following:
"You worked wonders. I no longer wake up with tingling arms and my lower back doesn't hurt as much now.
Thank you so much. "
Here is some feedback from the Busselton Ironman 2007
From Mary Mitchell
Very belatedly, I want to thank you again for the work you did with me both pre and post event. I am absolutely sure it contributed to my PB, with the most improvement showing in the run leg. I pulled up extremely well from the event, with just some stiffness which steadily ameliorated over the next 3 days. In fact, I had my best ever recovery from an ironman event. I have attached a photo of me at the finish line which shows I was still running and smiling - I was stoked to be able to finish before the pom pom girls bedtime.
Sadly I will not be able to catch up with you at IMWA in 2008. In a stroke of extraordinary good luck I was given a lottery spot to the Hawaii Ironman on 11 October. Competing there will be the realisation of a 20 year dream. I then go on to compete in the World 70.3 event in Florida on 9 November (half ironman distance) - I qualified and accepted that slot in February before I got the Hawaii news - so it will be a big 4 weeks.
Anyway I hope you have a great race week and I will check your website to see your results.
From Robin Frankland of South Africa
Hi Arthur,
Thanks for the treatment you gave me in Busselton. As you have already noted on your website, I went an hour quicker than my previous PB which is a phenomenal improvement, especially when you get around the 9 hour mark.
I have written a report on my own website with a link to you. www.tricape.com
Once again thank you, when I am next in WA I will certainly look you up.
Regards,
Robin
If you would like to give me some feedback after treatment, please feel free to do so!
My website attracts quite a few new clients, although word of mouth advertising gets me most new clients these days.
Most people like my website enough to want to come and see me and many tell me that they find it quite informative.
However, not everyone agrees with my views, so here are some emails from some complete strangers I have not worked on or even met, who have visited my website and didn't agree with me.. in the following quote I have had to make a few spelling corrections, otherwise it is verbatim.
I have seen all sorts of practitioners, ones that have studied with 5 PHDs and ones that have done weekend courses. The length of study does not make that practitioner any better. You other are passionate about having great palpation skills and helping people or you havent. I was great at massage at the age of 13 and 14, my uncle taught me things that are not taught in todays western world, purely because things are becoming more regulated. My uncle was the only guy to get me back on my feet after debilitating pain, he was a remedial massage practitioner, not by Diploma or Degree or anyone point of view. He simply had a passion. He was one of the greats and I never saw him at a lecture theatre teaching anybody. He wasnt 'Qualified'. When I went to massage school i was completely disolutioned about what we were "Allowed" to do, compared to what my uncle was doing. I now work in my own centre, doing my own style, and making more than most physios and chiros.
People come to see you not the mode of practice you do, simply they are seeing you. They want you, because you helped them.
If massage ever was regulated, some of the greats will leave, or go underground. Most of the amazing practitioners i have met refuse to enter a massage course because of the crap that is being taught.
Americas LMt's which I have seen are making no more or less than the average practitioner here.
Focus on your greatness, it seems you are very good with your hands, thats what matters. Regulation does not make better practitoners. My question is, "When being regulated, who decides on the regulation, and who gave them the right of power to regulate that field, and who says that is right"? Also "If someone is great at something and is not regulated at what they do, who says they cant do it, and what right does that person have"? touch is a personal choice and everyone does it differently and has their own philosophy on why it works, and why they do what they do. They are not any better or worse than the next practitioner, they choose to work the way they do. Nobody can regulate or has the right to.
The industries that are regulated, chiro and physio, can never agree amongst themselves. In fact one of the chiro associations said that subluxation does not exist!! Which is the basis of tht profession. Go figure.
We need to be different because we are.
Keep up your passion. We need more passionate practitioners. By the way, chiro that make more charge more, thats the difference with that. So all you need to do is charge more. We do while others charge hardly anything. And people come, even more come. Funny that.
Have fun
I also received an extremely angry email from a chiropractor who hoped that doctors would not refer clients to me.
When I asked if he was happy to have his email posted on my website he declined. Fortunately there are a couple of doctors who refer clients to me, mainly because some of my clients have been happy with my work, particularly in the areas of headache relief and relief of the symptoms of sciatica. All I can say is that the angry email I received from a complete stranger was not worthy of someone who is entitled to be called Doctor!!
