Building a Patient Base in Family Practice
The whole point of your medical practice is treating patients. Once the clinic is set up, staffed and all the necessary systems in place, it’s time to cultivate a client base. Here are a few basic tips for ensuring the practice you build lasts.
Referrals
The first step in getting referrals from other physicians is in letting those physicians know you are available. If you’ve applied for and been approved for hospital privileges, attend meetings and get to know other physicians. Make an effort to meet local surgeons and other professionals. Great examples include:
- Social workers
- Dentists
- Nurses
- Daycare owners
- Chiropractors
- Pharmacists
- and Others
All of these professionals come into contact with large numbers of people and an help you build your patient base.
Advertising
Run announcements in local newspapers and on radio. Consider using a professional mailing service to send out announcements. A professional mailing service will have targeted mailing lists making it possible to send the announcements to those people most likely to seek treatment at the family practice.
Some physicians have nothing but positive things to say about using postcards. Postcards announcing a new clinic or medical practice can be sent to both medical professionals and individuals. It costs less to send a postcard than it does a letter and people are usually more likely to read a postcard anyway. UPS healthcare can even help you with this side of marketing andn assist you in announcing new physicians in your area.
Ads aren’t the only way to get the family practice noticed in the newspaper. Don’t forget about the value of health information articles, notices of special prices for certain services, and frequently asked question columns in popular weeklies or newsletters in your area.
Brochures
Create brochures advertising your practice and give them to local Chamber of Commerce and Welcoming Services. The brochure should:
- State general information
- Include info on the family practice is located
- Tell what services are provided
- Include the physician’s photo and personal information, including credentials
- Should probably not include other staff photos
Website
Now that the Internet has become a household tool and people learn about medical practices by checking them out online, your practice would be more than foolish not to have a site.
Do make sure the family practice has an Internet presence featuring a website that reflects the tone and general target audience of the practice. This is a good place to feature staff photos and information. It’s much easier to update a web page if staffing changes than it is to change brochures and print information.
Newsletter
A family practice newsletter can be a good way to build and maintain the patient base. With the popularity, ease and low cost of email newsletters, the newsletter is also a cost effective means to advertise your services. We can even help you get newsletters together for both print and electronic editions.
When considering a family practice newsletter, it’s important to decide how often the newsletter will be published and in what forms. The minimum frequency is four times a year. Monthly newsletters require more dedication as well as time. Delivery will have to be decided, whether print, electronic or both.
Electronic Newsletters
One advanced marketing method using the electronic newsletter is to create a series of health information emails. Put a signup box on the website and in the newsletter, giving readers the option of subscribing. By using an autoresponder, the health information emails can be delivered over a dedicated period of time. The more people hear or read the information, the more they remember the family practice. Even if they don’t need healthcare, they may be asked by a friend or neighbor to recommend a health care facility.
Social Media
Don’t forget to leverage your information no social media platforms—Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+ and more. While you might have questions about the effectiveness of these platforms to get the word out, the research is compelling—and telling: it’s working, and often just as well as word-of-mouth.
Getting patients to a new medical practice is all about getting the word out. Attend medical meetings, organizational meetings and community gatherings. Let pharmacists, social workers and others know your practice is open and accepting new patients. Get in touch with surgeons and others who refer patients. Advertise online and in the community. When patients do arrive, let them know that you appreciate the opportunity to help them manage health issues.
Are you looking for help in getting your business started? Contact UPS Healthcare today. We have immediately solutions to help you optimize what you’re practice is already doing or plans to do.