The world of business is changing in the digital age and this includes the medical industry. There are so many differences in medicine that have occurred over the last year due to COVID-19. Telehealth is now more widely available than ever before with more health providers offering this as an option. Driving up patient numbers can turn a practice into a staple in a community and lead to expansion in a city. The important aspect of driving patient numbers up is not to alienate your current base of patients. People do not want to wait hours in a waiting room or weeks for an appointment due to overbooking. The following are tips to drive up patient numbers at your medical-based business.
Make Your Safety Requirements Clear
The need to publish all of the health precautions being taken at a business cannot be understated. There are so many people that are worried about visiting a business that is not taking the pandemic seriously. Most waiting rooms in practices have been eliminated leading to people waiting in their cars until they are called in. Patient experience has likely gone down so it is important to make up for it in other ways. You should be detailed about the testing going on among staff. Temperature checks and tests for COVID-19 being required can provide peace of mind for patients.
Monitor Online Reviews
The importance of monitoring online reviews cannot be underestimated in today’s digital world. These reviews can be a great place to find out where the business can improve in its interactions with patients/customers. The place to salvage a relationship can be the response to a review whether it is on Google or on a social media page. Retention of patients is an easy way to drive up overall numbers consistently over time. Make sure responses are calm and reflect the message the business wants to exude.
Additional Services Matter
The more services available, the more revenue that can be generated. This could be something like an attempt to add Occmed to urgent care would be a perfect example. Telehealth is also something that is far more accepted than in the past due to the pandemic. Telehealth might take some patients time to get used to but the convenience is worth it in the mind of many patients. There is no longer the issue of sitting in a waiting room with other sick people. For those without a car, there is no longer the need to find a ride to and from the doctor. Partnering with another medical-based business can also be fruitful as their services can be sold from your location. These types of partnerships need to be entered into carefully as you do not want the wrong partner damaging the reputation of your business.
Driving up patient numbers is about a consistent dedication to the experience of the customer/patient. Consumers are more empowered than ever before as they can voice their displeasure and easily find another business to take their money to.