If you’re opening a medical practice, dealing with paperwork should not be your focus. Your Medical Practice Management team needs to have the know-how and attitude to handle the day-to-day activities so you can focus on your real revenue makers…the patients. Medical practice consultants say that by socializing with your peers, you may be the right way to bring in new patients and increase your revenue.
Primary care doctors aren’t likely to refer their patients to a specialist they do not know. But, there are ways that you can improve your business even if you’re just opening a medical practice or if you’ve had a specialist practice for years. Many doctors like to think that their business will come to them, but the reality is that you have got to make a name for yourself. That can either come through patient referrals, medical marketing, or healthcare advertising. Getting out there and making yourself known will help you grow your medical practice.
9 out of every 10 referrals are made by physicians, so your conferences with other doctors is what generates the most referrals and money. Personal relationships tend to bring in more referrals than a professional one, so if you have friends in the medical field, they are more likely to refer their patients to you. A lot of the time, there’s not much thought put into referring a patient, it’s just “who do I know” and if that person is a friend then they are more likely going to get the referral.
To keep your referrals coming in, try communicating with more doctors. Work on your communication skills in the medical community or attend some events. And when you have a referral, stick to the reason that the doctor referred them to you. The patient will know that you listened to them, and the original doctor will continue to provide good referrals to your medical practice. Fixing problems for patients accomplishes a lot more than just finding arbitrary new ones, and it shows other doctors that you are operating an honest medical practice.
After your visit, inform the referring doctor through a follow up email or phone call, always thank the referring doctor and you might want to consider sending them a thank you or give them a referral of your own. Either way, it helps to give a little to get a lot more. And talk about patients that you share, make sure that the patients they send you are doing well.
Track revenue that you receive from referrals. Have your Medical Practice Management team develop a system to track and manage referrals. This way you can identify who your referrals are coming from and what you can do to show your appreciation. Whatever you do, don’t fight the people who bring you money, if there is a disagreement between two medical practices, then find a way to work it out amicably.
Learn how to start a “Niche” medical practice at www.HippocratesPublishing.com. “Teaching Physicians the Business of Medicine”