Position your medical practice as a market leader!
Great! Physicians have finally realized that they will have to move beyond the traditional approach towards practicing medicine and become savvy businessmen as well. All that murmurs and complaints have died down. The writing is on the wall, it is smart physicians who can also be mean businessmen who can survive.
And physicians are not half as pathetic as businessmen as most people would like to believe. The tremendous efforts medical practices take to position themselves as leaders in their specialty or niche is proof enough that physicians are savvy businessmen in their own right.
What are the best ways to increase the authority and reach of your medical practice?
There are several ways you can ensure your medical practice is a step ahead of the competition. And most importantly, to end every day on a happy note, despite mounting financial pressure… So what is the secret behind insanely successful medical practices? Apart from best of class medical care there is a lot more healthcare professionals need to do to have a firm footing in the industry.
This may sound clichéd and you’d have come across this a million times but these tips to increase and expand your authority and client-base also explain how to break a complex process into small, bite-sized pieces!
These are the areas you need to be focusing on…
There are no two ways about it- increase patient engagement
1. A strong social media presence
2. Cleverly designed marketing strategies
Here is how to increase patient engagement!
Providing undivided attention to patients during a visit is one of the best ways to engage patients. Automate tasks by using apps to record encounters, outsource or automate tasks such as transcription and documentation of medical records. Most EHRs come with full featured patient portals and walking your patients through it will increase patient engagement.
Dissemination of information is vital. Providing electronic access to medical records to patients will help drive up patient engagement and also make them more involved in their healthcare.
A clinic based in Cleveland allows patients to input their health information into the clinics patient portal. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that it is a great move by the clinic. It reduces patient information errors, increases engagement with their health and saves up precious staff time!
Time to go social!
Having a strong social media presence is vital to stay on top of the game. Hire experts or step up the effort and time you spend on social media. One sure fire strategy to grab eyeballs is to add pictures and videos to your Facebook page or Tweets. Share information about latest healthcare updates, drugs, equipment or experiments specific to your specialty and organize regular surveys and polls.
It is the quickest and easiest way to position yourself as a leader in your niche. Be responsive. Mention names and Twitter handles to show that you are paying personal attention and be prompt with replies, always!
Have a marketing plan…
Medical practices hardly spend time in marketing efforts. It sounds almost gross to physicians. But to gain a strong toehold in a fiercely competitive industry, getting on the marketing bandwagon certainly helps. Distribute pamphlets or drop flyers at your neighbourhood supermarket during the flu season, school physicals etc… Have a toll-free helpline for patients to reach you at all times. Have a strong recall system and scheduling plan.
Conduct regular market assessment studies to know where you stand and what could be the best way to leverage your strengths. Maintain an implementation, process and results log to track the implementation and end result of your marketing efforts. Spruce up your website and contribute to healthcare journals, magazines and e-zines.
Post your contributions and that of the physicians who work with you in your website and notice board. It will build credibility.
Nothing beats freebies!
Here is the secret sauce. Provide free screenings, health camps, blood checks, BMI checks and blood pressure screenings every few months. This will get the word around and help in “brand” recall.
Organize health awareness seminars and summer camps for kids. Being known as the friendly doctor down the lane is probably the best marketing tactic, afterall!
