The world of healthcare is competitive to say the least with certain procedures with costs as high as a down payment on a home. Consistently finding new patients and retaining current patients can help take a practice to the next level. A proactive approach to growing a practice is essential as doing the same things and expecting different results simply does not work. Assess where the practice could be doing a better job and implement a plan to help improve the weakest areas. The following are tips that can help take your healthcare practice to the next level.
Online Appointment Setting
Online appointment setting for established patients can make things much easier. Schedules can be hectic so being able to see open appointments for weeks to come can be a huge help. With this being said people that miss appointments that they make online should be banned from doing so. A 3 strike policy should be implemented before doing so as everyone has missed an appointment at one time or another.
Comfortable Seating In Waiting Room
The waiting room having massage chairs and being comfortable is important. Patients can lose their patience when waiting in an uncomfortable waiting room. Keeping appointments running on time is not always an option when emergencies pop up so keep patients waiting in comfort as they might not realize how long they have been sitting there. TVs as well as other things to read can help with this as well. With smartphones people usually have entertainment covers so seating should be the next priority.
Digital Marketing On Point
Digital marketing for healthcare needs to be done on a consistent basis to be effective. Small things like ranking high on search engine results can lead to a boost in patients as people searching for a doctor rarely go passed the first page. Turn the practice blog into a resource so patients can educate themselves as well as use the blog as a resource. Whether you are outlining tips to look for skin cancer or showing something like STD or real hemorrhoid pics it can be useful to the blog visitor. The most important thing to do when marketing for healthcare is to consistently create unique and high quality content. If you do not have someone in-house to do this, many freelancers can help often times at a fraction of the cost of hiring someone in the office.
Discounts For Referrals
Patients always want to feel like they are getting a great deal for the care they receive. Giving discounts on future procedures or appointments when a patient refers another to the practice can be a great program. If the quality of care is up to par this could lead to the person becoming a patient for years to come. The best thing about this type of program is that many people (especially parents) tend to have the entire family go to one practice if possible. This helps build the relationship with the staff as well as can help cut down on 5 member of the family having 5 separate primary care physicians.
As you can see a proactive approach as well as an actionable plan can take your practice to the next level. Take care of the small details and never compromise on the quality of care that the practice provides.
