Posts tagged patient marketing
Why Apologizing May Prevent Patients From Suing You
May 9th
The Boston Globe Magazine recently covered a story about an interesting link between doctors who admit they have made a mistake, and patients who are likely to sue the practitioner or practice. While many doctors are conditioned to be suspicious of malpractice claims, openly apologizing to the patient may be a step in a positive direction. According to the article, physicians who express some type of remorse or formally apologize for their mistake may end up with slightly more satisfied patients – and patients who are least likely to sue them.
As a medical provider or doctor, it is your responsibility to ensure that you are providing satisfactory services and addressing any concerns your patient may have. However, you may run into situations where you or one of your staff members makes a mistake and this mistake affects the outcome of a procedure or treatment. Even something as simple as neglecting to return a patient’s phone call or email can cause a high level of dissatisfaction that needs to be addressed.
A program at the University of Michigan encourages physicians to reveal their mistakes as early as possible and even offer compensation to patients who might have been harmed in some way. According to experts, revealing the mistake and addressing it swiftly can protect a doctor’s reputation and may even prevent a malpractice lawsuit.
A few ways to apologize for a mistake or error may include:
- Following up with a patient immediately after he or she has expressed their dissatisfaction, either via email or by phone
- Taking the time to understand what the patient is concerned about and why they are unhappy with the situation
- Correcting the issue with compensation or a discount on a corrective treatment or service
- Asking the patient to collaborate on a resolution
- Doing the work necessary to reach a mutual agreement with the patient
Need more tips or ideas for managing your practice? Talk to a PracticeDock online marketing specialist today.
More content you may be interested in:
- Best Practices for Capturing New Patient Leads
- Need Help Marketing Your Practice Online?
- A Look at the Facebook Power User Infographic
- Case Study: How a Doctor Leverages Online Marketing Tools to Attract More Patients
- Use Videos in News Releases for Better SEO
How to Determine Your Actual Cost Per Patient
Apr 25th
You work hard to ensure you’re putting together creative marketing campaigns each quarter and training your staff to handle your patient leads. But do you have an accurate idea of how much it actually costs to acquire a patient? Even though reviewing financial statements regularly will give you an idea of how much revenue your practice is generating, those numbers don’t give you any idea what your return on investment is for various marketing endeavors.
You need a formula that calculates how much it actually costs to acquire each patient based on how much you spend to attract the patient.
Here are some was to determine your actual cost per patient:
Step 1: Track all expenses related to advertising and marketing. You want to have a solid idea of how much it costs to bring in new patients. You can do this by determining total costs of every single marketing and advertising campaign. Remember to include the cost of salaries you pay to people managing these campaigns, as well as any materials you purchase or investments you make to implement and execute the campaign.
Step 2: Track the number of patients acquired with each campaign. This can be tricky when you are running billboard ads or sending out direct mail pieces, but you can include a special phone number within these marketing campaigns so that you can track response rates. If you are executing an online marketing campaign, you’ll need to track the number of leads generated from the campaign and calculate how many of those leads turned into patients. Don’t be afraid to ask patients how they found out about your practice or a special offer.
Step 3: Divide the total cost of a campaign by the total number of patient acquisitions. This is the basic formula for determining how much it cost to acquire a patient with a specific campaign. For example, if you spent $2,500 on newspaper and magazine advertising and acquired 100 patients from these campaigns, your cost per patient is $250.
After you have a good idea of what your average cost per patient is, you can determine how profitable a patient is by reviewing typical patient purchase history and considering how much a patient might spend with you over their lifetime. The most profitable patients will, of course, be your returning patients because you have only spent that initial amount to attract them to your practice. After that initial ‘investment’, you can look to that patient to book more procedures or make more purchases. This will give you a lifetime value of a patient (LTV).
Need help with your patient acquisition strategy? Talk to a PracticeDock online marketing specialist today!
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Doctor Offers Virtual Consultations and Mobile Services to Patients
Apr 18th
You’ve probably already realized that the majority of your patients go online to learn about treatments and services, and to find a doctor that meets their needs. But what if doctors started offering virtual consultations and visited patients outside of the traditional office setting?
That’s what one young doctor has done, and claims to be “reinventing health care” with the help of the Internet. In a recent story in the New York Times, Dr. Jay Parkinson talks about his company Sherpaa, a website that serves like a virtual doctor’s office. Parkinson offers consultations online via email and text messages, and explains how easy it is for his patients to connect with him without having to visit him at an office.
Parkinson goes on to explain that, “We’re tech-savvy doctors for tech-savvy patients” when describing how Sherpaa works. His clients include Tumblr, General Assembly, and Hard Candy Shell. He started this venture by inviting patients to contact him via email and text message instead of working in a private practice setting. He built his business on networking rather than seeing patients in a traditional way, and explains, “The Internet crowd really latched on to my practice.”
The New York Times article highlights the doctor’s approach summarized on the website: “We can figure out if I need to come to your work, your home or meet somewhere else in the city. We can even meet in the park or in a coffee shop.”
Sherpaa now has eight employees which include two primary-care physicians. The company has been in business since 2012 and now has about 500 customers from 30 different companies. The main selling point to employers interested in offering this benefit to employees is cost. Instead of relying on traditional primary-care physicians and emergency rooms to provide services, Sherpaa offers the same services at a fraction of the cost. The company claims that it can save companies up to $4,000 per year for each employee. Current rates are $50 per employee.
Read more on NYTimes.com: Jay Parkinson, The Doctor Is In (Well, Logged In)
More content you may be interested in:
- Best Practices for Capturing New Patient Leads
- Need Help Marketing Your Practice Online?
- A Look at the Facebook Power User Infographic
- Case Study: How a Doctor Leverages Online Marketing Tools to Attract More Patients
- Use Videos in News Releases for Better SEO
A Surgeons Best Marketing Tool: Before & After Photos (Infographic)
Apr 11th
Did you know that the single most searched item for patients interested in cosmetic procedures is a doctor’s before and after gallery? Before and after picture galleries provide the opportunity to showcase your skills and expertise, so it’s important that your doctor profiles on directories and your website includes examples of your work. Put yourself in the place of the patient, would you want more information from a doctor that showcases successful cosmetic surgery before and after pictures on actual patients or would you choose a doctor that has decided not to disclose any photos? The internet is a visual medium – take full advantage of it. Read the full article.
View this infographic to see how you can best use your before and after pictures:
Need help marketing your practice? Talk to one of our PracticeDock specialists for tips and ideas about effective patient marketing strategies.
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Best Practices for Capturing New Patient Leads
Apr 5th
Attracting new patients to your practice may not be easy but there are several things any practice can do to build a solid patient base and continue generating leads via email, phone, and even the Internet. In fact, your online presence may be responsible for a significant percentage of leads you generate year after year.
The PracticeDock team of online marketing experts works with practices just like yours to build a strong online presence and also generate high-quality leads to help your practice grow. The next step is to convert those leads into patients, and we have tools and resources to help you with that as well.
Here are some tips and best practices for capturing new patient leads:
- Be quick to reply. Don’t wait more than 24 hours to respond to a lead when you can help it. Whether the inquiry comes via email, phone, or through an online contact form, make sure you have staff available to respond to the lead immediately. Waiting too long increases the chance that your prospective patient will go elsewhere.
- Be persistent. In most cases, calling back once is not enough. Research tells us that at least six call attempts increase your chances of converting that patient and booking an appointment.
- Consider the day. Some research also suggests that the best days to make initial contact are on Thursdays or Wednesdays. The best times to call are between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., and the second best time to call is between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. Plan your marketing and communications accordingly.
Need more patient lead generation ideas? Talk to one of our PracticeDock online marketing specialists today!
More content you may be interested in:
- Need Help Marketing Your Practice Online?
- A Look at the Facebook Power User Infographic
- Case Study: How a Doctor Leverages Online Marketing Tools to Attract More Patients
- Use Videos in News Releases for Better SEO
- Online Marketing Technology Enhances Patient Leads
LocateADoc.com NEW FaceTouchUp Simulator Helps Doctors and Patients Visualize Results
Mar 21st
LocateADoc.com has unveiled a brand new FaceTouchUp Simulator tool that can help patients and doctors visualize plastic surgery results well before surgery day. You can encourage your patients to use this tool to see what they might look like after having some cosmetic work done. It’s a simple and FREE way to visualize results from popular procedures such as facelifts, chin augmentation, liposuction, breast enhancement, and even weight loss.
Test drive the FaceTouchUp Simulator tool for yourself here.
Prospective patients are already using this tool to visualize results from some of today’s popular procedures, and this tool could be an asset to your practice when you are working with patients who are still unsure about what to expect.
Some ways you could use this tool as part of your practice marketing and patient acquisition strategy:
- During the initial patient consultation process
- Training patient care coordinators and staff members how to use this tool to demonstrate results of popular procedures
- Linking to the FaceTouchUp Simulator tool from your website or blog
- Tweeting or posting a Facebook Page status update about this innovative tool
- Inviting patients to use the tool at home before returning to your practice for a second or third consult visit
We’e made it easier than ever for patients and practice staff members to visualize results of popular procedures with a few simple clicks!
Try out the LocateADoc.com FaceTouchUp Simulator tool today and share it with your patients and staff.
Talk to one of our PracticeDock online marketing specialists for more ideas on marketing your practice.
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Converting Patient Leads into Booked Treatments – Part 2
Dec 5th
Last week we talked about three effective ways to convert patient leads into new clients. You learned that in order to grow your practice and keep building that client base, you need to pay close attention to your response times, avoid the typical salesperson’s approach when communicating with these patients, and also to be “respectfully persistent”.
These are only a few proven methods for converting patient leads you receive via a phone call, an email inquiry, or any type of intake form. Here are some more strategies to help you convert more of those patients:
1. Set up an email campaign. Cultivate and maintain relationships with current and past patients by sending out monthly or quarterly emails. You can design a set of email campaigns for different types of patients and schedule them to go out over a designated period of time. Frequent emails can help to keep those patients interested and can also build some trust.
2. Don’t forget about your existing clientele. Experts describe these patients as “low hanging fruit” that is easy to ignore. Don’t overlook some sales opportunities for existing patients and don’t be afraid to ask for referrals when appropriate. Tapping into your existing client base to suggest additional services or extend a special offer can be a great way to drum up more business.
3. Invest in a good staff training program. Take the time to really educate your staff members on how to handle incoming calls, how to answer questions about new treatments, and how to greet patients as they walk into your office. Phone etiquette is a critical component of success and the PracticeDock Call Tracking tool can be an invaluable asset for your practice. Invest the time and resources to train your staff properly so that you are always increasing the chances of converting patient leads into booked treatments.
For more tips, contact one of our PracticeDock online marketing specialists. We’re here to provide you with the most effective marketing tools to grow your practice.
Don’t miss these PracticeDock on-demand webinars!
How to Turn Phone Calls into Profits
Generating Revenue from Online Patient Leads
More content you may be interested in:
- How Facebook Insights Help You Measure Your Campaign’s Growth
- Infographic: What Patients Are Paying to Go Under the Knife, What They Are Having Done and Where
- Grow Your Practice with the Right Patient Marketing Strategy
- Join the LocateADoc.com “Top Doctor” Program
- Need Help Marketing Your Practice Online?
Converting Patient Leads into Booked Treatments – Part 1
Nov 27th
No matter which methods you use to attract patients to your practice, you need to fine-tune the process of converting that patient inquiry into a booked treatment. Most practices field dozens of phone calls or emails requesting information about certain treatments and services but the patient never actually books a consultation or treatment.
Your success is dependent on your staff’s ability to convert those leads into appointments. We’ll be talking about some effective strategies to help you convert those patient leads into an appointment for a service over the next couple of weeks.
Here are some essentials for converting those leads into new clients:
- Pay attention to your response time. According to Leads360, a lead management software company, speed is the single most critical element of converting leads. The company reports that conversion rats are more than 390% higher when you respond to an inquiry within one minute. The percentage drops to 120% within two minutes, 98% under three minutes, and down to 36% in under an hour. It’s imperative that your staff is responding to each and every lead within minutes – preferably right away – whenever possible.
- Don’t sell. Take the time to learn more about your patients and really understand what they are looking for, and what they might need. Avoid any sales talk or marketing hype and instead focus on building a positive relationship with the patient. Few patients will tolerate a sales pitch when they are looking for a treatment or service. Make sure your staff is trained to avoid sales talk and instead focus on the patient’s needs so they can lead them in the right direction.
- Be respectfully persistent. If a patient doesn’t schedule a consultation right away, that doesn’t mean that they may do so in the future. Schedule a follow up call with that patient a few days or a week after the initial communication to find out if they are still interested. Some may simply be shopping around and need a little nudge in the right direction.
Need more ideas? Stay tuned for Part 2 next week. In the meantime, contact one of our PracticeDock online marketing specialists to find out how we can help you grow your practice.
Don’t miss these PracticeDock on-demand webinars!
How to Turn Phone Calls into Profits
Generating Revenue from Online Patient Leads
More content you may be interested in:
- How Facebook Insights Help You Measure Your Campaign’s Growth
- Infographic: What Patients Are Paying to Go Under the Knife, What They Are Having done and Where
- Grow Your Practice with the Right Patient Marketing Strategy
- Join the LocateADoc.com “Top Doctor” Program
- Need Help Marketing Your Practice Online?
Join the LocateADoc.com “Top Doctor” Program
Nov 1st
If you really want to attract high-quality patients with your online advertising methods, secure the exclusive spot on LocateADoc.com with our new Top Doctor program. This is paid program that will spotlight your practice as a “Top Doctor” in as many specialties and cities you choose. It’s the perfect way to get noticed and attract more high-quality leads week after week! We created this program so that doctors have the opportunity to be featured in a highly-visible spot on our doctor search pages, giving you an advantage of your competition.
What You’ll Get By Joining the Top Doctor Program:
We’ll make sure your Top Doctor status is promoted across our marketing channels and that you receive everything you need to showcase your status.
- Featured “Top Doctor” ad spot for your chosen specialties and cities on the left-hand side of a patients doctor search
- Official “Top Doctor” certificate to hang in your office
- “Top Doctor” logo art to use in any print and Internet advertising materials
- An official “Top Doctor” logo you can proudly display on your LocateADoc.com search listing and profile page for one year
- Facebook cover art to advertise that you are a “Top Doctor”
- Top Doctor post about your practice on the LocateADoc.com Facebook and Twitter pages
This offer is ONLY open to LocateADoc.com paid advertisers and doctor profiles must be at least 75% complete in order to be eligible for the program. The profile must have at least five patient before and after gallery pictures, and at least three positive recommendations/comments on LocateaDoc.com.
Talk to one of our PracticeDock online marketing specialists today to enroll in or learn more about our exclusive Top Doctor Program!
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Introducing the LocateADoc.com Service Certification Award
Oct 25th
LocateADoc.com, our premier physician directory, has partnered with the Aesthetic Profits Association (APA) to put your team through a patient-attraction and staff training certification program. We know how important it is to invest in a comprehensive training program for your staff, and our PracticeDock team of online marketing specialists provide you with several tools to help you run your practice as effectively as possible.
We’re proud to bring you the LocateADoc.com Service Certification Award, a brand new program that makes it easy to train new staff and refresh skills for all staff on phone call etiquette and lead management.
Sign up online here or call the APA at (877) 339-8833 for discounted rates for the LocateADoc.com training program!
The LocateADoc.com Service Certification training program covers the following key topics:
- How to double your call conversions
- Converting price shoppers into appointments
- Ways to stop losing callers to your competitors
We provide four (4) 30-minute Lunch-n-Learn Audio segments with “follow along” guides to cover the fundamentals of answering the phone and booking more appointments. We’ve made it easier than ever to train your staff in the shortest amount of time possible, and now we’re offering our advertisers an exclusive offer!
EXCLUSIVE Offer for LocateaDoc.com Advertisers
Take advantage of our exclusive discount to current advertisers at 50% of the first month’s membership of the APA program. Sign up online here or call the APA at 1-877-339-8833 for discounted rates for the LocateADoc.com training program!
After completing this program, your staff will be fully-trained in all areas of lead management and call conversions. You’ll also enjoy the following benefits:
- Official Certificate Award to hang in your office
- Award logo art to use on any print or Internet advertising
- An award logo to proudly display on your LocateADoc.com search listing and profile page
- Facebook cover art to advertise your Service Certification Award
- Official announcement of your practice’s achievement posted on the LocateADoc.com Facebook page and Twitter feed
Don’t wait to take advantage of our 50% exclusive discount! Talk to one of our PracticeDock online marketing specialists today, or call us at (877) 809-1777 with any questions.
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