Improving Relationships With Your Medical Office Patients

Families today have a variety of healthcare providers to choose from. If you're a physician and have managed to acquire a nice sized patient list, you may be wondering what you can do to retain them so they'll continue to keep visiting your office. Using these tips, a medical practice can thrive and build good relationships with its patients.

1-Send More Correspondence

Once a patient leaves your office, they may not think of you until it's time to visit for an illness or another problem. Starting regular healthcare correspondence with all your patients is a smart way to remain in contact. You can send out informational booklets, seasonal articles, or a regular monthly newsletter about your practice or healthcare issues that concern them. If you aren't a writer or don't know how to create effective materials, consult agencies that can assist you with healthcare membership correspondence.

2-Start Memberships

Most patients pay using their insurance and a co-pay or simply out of pocket per office visit. However, a growing number of doctors are trying out a slightly different model: subscription services. By allowing patients to pay you directly and in advance for tiers of service, you may find that both of you are happier with care.

For example, you might offer a set number of office visits for an annual fee. You might scale your prices for people of different ages for monthly prescriptions. You may even offer amenities like home visits or 24-hour on-call service. You'll be happier because you're receiving your fees up front rather than waiting for insurance companies, and patients will be delighted to have more choices.

If you do start healthcare memberships, ensure that you use correspondence materials specifically for that group. Their mailings should be different and contain more specialized information to fit in with their level of membership.

3-Ask for Feedback

You might be so eager to retain patients and thinking about what you can do that you don't explore your best resource: your patients. Asking your patients what they'd like to see in your correspondence or what they think about your practice can be illuminating. By responding to their stated needs, they will feel both heard and appreciated. You might ask them to complete a short survey as they wait to meet with you or right after their visit.

Your medical practice depends on your patients. Use these suggestions for building a stronger relationship with all of them. For more information, contact a company like Digital One World.