Online Education

Medical Practice Marketing and ways to build your patient base.

Most medical specialists rely heavily upon professional referrals and hospitals that they have privileges, but more and more doctors are developing?relationships in order to win their share of doctor referrals.

Keep in mind in the real world, doing good work is essential, but with today’s economy and more and more hospitals closing, it is just not enough.

Of most of your referrals come only from a couple sources, eventually you will start to see a decline in your bottom line.

Marketing?your practice?should involve a mix of networking, advertising/promotion, and community outreach.

Networking:?Is all about?relationships. This relationship should be based on respect and mutual benefit. To build these relationships, you must make an effort.?Look for?new physicians in?your community?or at the hospital. Meet doctors through hospital or committee meetings. Arrange some personal meetings that can include lunch or other friendly events.

?

Media:?Run ads in ?local papers to utilize the power of press releases ? send announcements about the opening of your practice, free events, new services and more.

?

Website: Develop a user-friendly website that will answer patient questions and invite them to your door. Your website should include information about you, the services offered, health plans you honor, directions and maps. Describe upcoming community?seminars and screenings. Include medical information and FAQs.

Please do not treat patients online.

If you do not already have a website, establish one. Internet competition for patients is starting to intensify. Medical practices that start using the Internet early and use it well will find it to be a marketing tool like no other. The Internet is in most cases?easily accessible, easily updated or altered and in best cases interactive. The Internet is expanding daily. E-commerce is booming.

Good idea is to?ddescribe the services you offer. List the health plans with which you participate. If yours is a group practice, include information about each of your physicians. Include data that patients will want to know, such as specialty, sub-specialty or area of focus; highlights of your training and services offered.

If you have published any papers, have them rewritten in plain, simple English, free of as much medical jargon as possible.

Keep in mind, new interactive websites are rapidly increasing in popularity. Some practices offer on-line patient appointment scheduling. Patients can access your on-line schedule, find out which physicians are available and request a time slot on a specific day. Your practice will be able to confirm the appointment or suggest an alternative immediately on line, by e-mail or with a phone call at your staff?s convenience. It is all about patient service and it starts when the patient makes first contact.

Yes, running an interactive website takes some daily work, it might pay to?outsource your website. Hire a website designer. Rely on your web “host” for updates. If you maintain the site in-house, at least hire a professional to check your information for accuracy.

In any situation, have an attorney advise you about copyright matters, protecting patient confidentiality. Have the necessary disclaimers clearly visible on your website.

Community Outreach:?Provide your community?a practice newsletter full of practical health tips and issues. Recruit new patients through free screenings at your practice.

Note: The American Medical Association statement on Advertising:

?A physician may publicize him or herself as a physician through any commercial publicity or other form of public communication? provided that the communication shall not be misleading because of the omission of necessary material information, shall not contain any false or misleading statement, or shall not otherwise operate to deceive.?

Keep an eye on your marketing and practice improvements.

?

?

Tags: Arrange, Benefit, committee meetings, community outreach, couple sources, decline, Doctor, doctor referrals, doctors, health plans, internet competition, Line, local papers, Marketing, marketing to medical doctors, Medical, medical practice, medical practices, medical specialists, Miss, mutual benefit, online, Order, patient, patient base, patient questions, personal meetings, Physician, Practice, press, professional referrals, Promotion, recruit, share, today