Comments on: Best ways to get more patients for your medical practice http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/12/ways-patients-medical-practice.html Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:18:00 +0000 hourly 1 By: Bob Varipapahttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/12/ways-patients-medical-practice.html#comment-122673 Bob Varipapa Thu, 07 Jan 2010 22:15:21 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=41819#comment-122673 Here is the link to Neil's book on marketing. Every physician (except maybe pathologists) should read this book:http://bit.ly/neilbaum Here is the link to Neil’s book on marketing. Every physician (except maybe pathologists) should read this book:

http://bit.ly/neilbaum

]]> By: Adam Mlynarcikhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/12/ways-patients-medical-practice.html#comment-122660 Adam Mlynarcik Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:26:42 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=41819#comment-122660 Medicine is a business, whether you like it or not. It is naive to think that you aren't looked at as a business entity as well as a patient.If you can take care above and beyond what you are doing now you will increase business and will be providing your patients with better care.I absolutely agree that it is a win win for everyone. Medicine is a business, whether you like it or not. It is naive to think that you aren’t looked at as a business entity as well as a patient.

If you can take care above and beyond what you are doing now you will increase business and will be providing your patients with better care.

I absolutely agree that it is a win win for everyone.

]]> By: My 2 centshttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/12/ways-patients-medical-practice.html#comment-122471 My 2 cents Sat, 02 Jan 2010 21:14:50 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=41819#comment-122471 The public forgets that practices are business as well and need to find ways to make profits. Physician reimbursements are on the decline & overhead costs are soaring. The public doesn't understand that doctors need to be creative and think more like business owners, otherwise they will shut their doors and nobody will get good care. Doctor or not, people won't work for free for long perios of time no matter how good the cause is. I challenge anyone to disagree with me on this issue. The public forgets that practices are business as well and need to find ways to make profits. Physician reimbursements are on the decline & overhead costs are soaring. The public doesn’t understand that doctors need to be creative and think more like business owners, otherwise they will shut their doors and nobody will get good care. Doctor or not, people won’t work for free for long perios of time no matter how good the cause is. I challenge anyone to disagree with me on this issue.

]]> By: A. Medicihttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/12/ways-patients-medical-practice.html#comment-121943 A. Medici Sat, 19 Dec 2009 18:15:57 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=41819#comment-121943 Well, a thread I can relate to. Thank you for the opportunity for this patient to vent. Ok, here goes:1. After calling the doctor's office and listening to all the phone prompts, I make a selection, then have to listen to muzak or pharmacy ads for several minutes. When a live person finally picks up I'm put on hold again, often right in mid-sentence.2. when arriving to the office and approaching the window, I'm ignored by the receptionist. Ok, they're busy, but can't they at least just look up to acknowledge that you're standing there. It is such a rude reception not to at least get eye contact at the outset. This is a big problem at pharmacies too.3. Why is it that everybody in a doctor's office dresses like a surgeon. The tech on down to the scheduler is wearing scrubs. It's very confusing. I don't know who's who or who does what. And why are those name tags turned over most of the time, or worn at the waist, or tucked in a pocket. Then when I meet the doctor, he's wearing casual street clothes. 4. being kept in a cold exam room for 20 plus minutes in a paper gown with nowhere to sit except uncomfortably on the edge of the exam table or the doctor's stool. Can't you put a chair in there.5. on exiting the exam room, being immediately directed to the business office. One of my doctors actually has an exit-only door where a staff person has to buzz you out for the door to open. That after being grilled rudely about payment.If the doctor really is concerned or curious... One suggestion would be to send the patient a questionnaire asking for their thoughts about the office visit. If they want, let them be anonymous. Have the form sent back to an addresss other than your office so you could read them privately. If a patient truly has an ax to grind, it might be enough to sound off on the questionnaire rather than post their complaints on one of those rate-a-doctor sites. Some of the gripes might be totally unreasonable; some valid which you probably weren't aware of and could easily address. And, I'm sure most patients would also let you know all the things that pleased or impressed them; the most important being that you valued their opinion.Just my 2 cents.~Andrea Well, a thread I can relate to. Thank you for the opportunity for this patient to vent. Ok, here goes:

1. After calling the doctor’s office and listening to all the phone prompts, I make a selection, then have to listen to muzak or pharmacy ads for several minutes. When a live person finally picks up I’m put on hold again, often right in mid-sentence.

2. when arriving to the office and approaching the window,
I’m ignored by the receptionist. Ok, they’re busy, but can’t they at least just look up to acknowledge that you’re standing there. It is such a rude reception not to at least get eye contact at the outset. This is a big problem at pharmacies too.

3. Why is it that everybody in a doctor’s office dresses
like a surgeon. The tech on down to the scheduler is
wearing scrubs. It’s very confusing. I don’t know who’s who or who does what. And why are those name tags turned over most of the time, or worn at the waist, or tucked in a pocket. Then when I meet the doctor, he’s wearing casual street clothes.

4. being kept in a cold exam room for 20 plus minutes in a
paper gown with nowhere to sit except uncomfortably on the edge of the exam table or the doctor’s stool. Can’t you
put a chair in there.

5. on exiting the exam room, being immediately directed to the business office. One of my doctors actually has an exit-only door where a staff person has to buzz you out for the door to open. That after being grilled rudely about payment.

If the doctor really is concerned or curious…

One suggestion would be to send the patient a questionnaire asking for their thoughts about the office visit. If they want, let them be anonymous. Have the form sent back to an addresss other than your office so you could read them privately.

If a patient truly has an ax to grind, it might be enough
to sound off on the questionnaire rather than post their
complaints on one of those rate-a-doctor sites. Some of the gripes might be totally unreasonable; some valid which you probably weren’t aware of and could easily address. And, I’m sure most patients would also let you know all the things that pleased or impressed them; the most important being that you valued their opinion.

Just my 2 cents.

~Andrea

]]> By: Patienthttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/12/ways-patients-medical-practice.html#comment-121940 Patient Sat, 19 Dec 2009 17:54:29 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=41819#comment-121940 My former doctor had great customer service. When the survey came, it asked me about smiles and enthusiasm. It didn't ask me if the PA really understood the problem. It didn't ask me how I felt seeing a complete stranger for a complicated problem. Maybe my doctor was more concerned about marketing than about patient care. It's easy to make everyone feel good when things turn out ok. The doctors I would recommend are the ones who were there for me when things got hard not the one who called me with normal test results. My former doctor had great customer service. When the survey came, it asked me about smiles and enthusiasm. It didn’t ask me if the PA really understood the problem. It didn’t ask me how I felt seeing a complete stranger for a complicated problem. Maybe my doctor was more concerned about marketing than about patient care. It’s easy to make everyone feel good when things turn out ok. The doctors I would recommend are the ones who were there for me when things got hard not the one who called me with normal test results.

]]> By: Neil Baumhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/12/ways-patients-medical-practice.html#comment-121928 Neil Baum Sat, 19 Dec 2009 03:40:59 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=41819#comment-121928 Anon, First, I am amazed that you didn't attach your name to your response. Is there something you said that you might find embarrassing or that your doctor wouldn't approve? Second, healthcare is unlike any other profession or business. We thrive and make our living by caring for the patients who are entrusted in our care. We want to provide five-star service because patients who are treated well are likely to be more compliant and follow the doctors' instructions and ultimately have better outcomes. And patients who do well and have a positive experience with the practice are more likely to tell others about that positive experience. Who could ask for anything more than a win-win experience for all involved? Dr. Neil Baum, author of Marketing Your Clinical Practice. (Jones and Bartlett, 2009) Anon, First, I am amazed that you didn’t attach your name to your response. Is there something you said that you might find embarrassing or that your doctor wouldn’t approve? Second, healthcare is unlike any other profession or business. We thrive and make our living by caring for the patients who are entrusted in our care. We want to provide five-star service because patients who are treated well are likely to be more compliant and follow the doctors’ instructions and ultimately have better outcomes. And patients who do well and have a positive experience with the practice are more likely to tell others about that positive experience. Who could ask for anything more than a win-win experience for all involved? Dr. Neil Baum, author of Marketing Your Clinical Practice. (Jones and Bartlett, 2009)

]]> By: anonhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/12/ways-patients-medical-practice.html#comment-121923 anon Sat, 19 Dec 2009 01:53:53 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=41819#comment-121923 As a patient, I find this article chilling and repulsive. Can't medical office staff treat patients well because they actually care, and not simply because they are "incentivized" for doing so? Don't doctors genuinely want to care for and communicate well with their patients, and not artificially act in a way that manipulates patients into sending other patients their way? Am I really just a "customer"? A "marketing avatar"? (The language used in this piece is unbelievably cynical.) I am viewed primarily as a means to increasing foot traffic in my doctor's office? I must be very naive to think I might matter as a person. There is a big difference between caring and acting for your own economic benefit in a manner that you believe will be perceived as caring. As a patient, I find this article chilling and repulsive. Can’t medical office staff treat patients well because they actually care, and not simply because they are “incentivized” for doing so? Don’t doctors genuinely want to care for and communicate well with their patients, and not artificially act in a way that manipulates patients into sending other patients their way? Am I really just a “customer”? A “marketing avatar”? (The language used in this piece is unbelievably cynical.) I am viewed primarily as a means to increasing foot traffic in my doctor’s office? I must be very naive to think I might matter as a person. There is a big difference between caring and acting for your own economic benefit in a manner that you believe will be perceived as caring.

]]> By: Nicholas Fogelsonhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/12/ways-patients-medical-practice.html#comment-121919 Nicholas Fogelson Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:55:56 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=41819#comment-121919 No question. Being a part of the community is key to a successful practice. Participation in social media is part of that, especially for the younger patient population. Sometimes service is just being available for patients when they need you. A little personal touch like an quick email response to a patient question or calling a patient back with her normal labs goes a long way. No question. Being a part of the community is key to a successful practice. Participation in social media is part of that, especially for the younger patient population. Sometimes service is just being available for patients when they need you. A little personal touch like an quick email response to a patient question or calling a patient back with her normal labs goes a long way.

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