Patient Relationship Management: Taking Care To The Next Level

By Josh Weiner, Chief Operating Officer, Solutionreach

When patients quit coming back to a practice, it is often for different reasons than providers assume. Doctors recently surveyed said 80 percent of patients who do not return had either moved or changed to an insurance plan the practice doesn’t accept — but only 38 percent of patients who changed doctors cited those reasons. Conversely, the survey found doctors believe only 22 percent of patients switch for better treatment or service. In reality, 58 percent of patients cited that exact reason for switching.

In other words, patients are active consumers. This creates opportunities to engage prospective patients and bring them into the practice, as well as opportunities to better engage existing patients to keep them coming back. A patient relationship management (PRM) system can provide a competitive edge on both fronts.

Improving Patient Access: Inbound Relationship Management
Electronic communications channels and online platforms are making it easier and less expensive to attract new patients. Mastering the options just requires focus and the right PRM tools.

The best place to start is to manage the practice’s reputation in popular review sites such as Google, Yelp and Healthgrades. Eighty-four percent of patients who responded to a recent survey said they use these sites’ online reviews to evaluate physicians, and 77 percent said they read online reviews as their first step in finding a new doctor according to Software Advice. A PRM system can assist with locating reviews for follow-up comment posting — something 60 percent of the survey respondents felt it is “very” or “moderately important” for doctors to do.

Equally important is offering patients the convenience of online self-scheduling. In a recent survey, 42 percent of patients said they would prefer to schedule appointments online with a current provider with whom it’s not an option. In the same survey, 63 percent of patients who switched providers booked their first appointment online. Online scheduling certainly helps in satisfying existing patients and attracting new ones, and a PRM system can simplify online appointment management.

To round out online efforts, leverage a PRM system to manage an effective social media presence. In one recent survey, 41 percent of patients said social media influences their choice of doctors and medical facilities. A PRM system can simplify the posting of consistent, fresh, and relevant content including patient testimonial videos across Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube — the social media platforms where people spend the most time.

Improving Patient Outreach: Outbound Relationship Management

Done properly, routine outreach to patients can build loyalty among current patients, and can lead to referrals when those patients forward what they receive to friends and family. The key is to match outreach to the individual and not to over-do it. Nobody wants to be spammed by a medical practice, but those who take an interest in their own health will appreciate receiving relevant materials they have opted in to receive.

A PRM system can make outreach far more efficient and effective, scheduling the timely delivery of content to targeted patient segments. Not all communications vehicles need to be pursued, but it’s good to give patients choices. Items that can be staged and delivered in this way include:

• Reminders for routine checkups. When patients don’t return for regular checkups, that’s bad for overall care and for practice revenue. To improve on recalls, look for a PRM tool that tracks visits and sends reminders at the right time through each patient’s preferred channel.
• Patient satisfaction surveys. A PRM tool that sends a well-constructed survey after each office visit can clarify what aspects patients appreciate and where there is room for improvement. Over time, these surveys can also highlight changes that are being noticed and appreciated by the patients.
• Newsletters and email promotions. Practices frequently try sending these communications manually, only to find consistency to be a challenge. Using a PRM tool to assemble a library of relevant content and parcel it out on a schedule greatly simplifies the undertaking.
• Birthday greetings. Few practices reach out on patient birthdays, and they’re missing an easy opportunity for engagement. A PRM tool that tracks birthdays and sends warm wishes to every patient at the right time helps each individual feel connected to the practice and builds loyalty.

Patient Relationship Management As Effective Practice Marketing
Improving a medical practice’s business prospects will always depend on attracting new patients and keeping patients from going elsewhere. Evidence consistently shows that the key to both is to solidify the provider-patient relationship. A PRM solution can go a long way toward cementing those relationships by making it easier for patients to find a reputable practice and make the first appointment; for existing patients to enjoy the conveniences they expect of modern service businesses; and for practices to remain top-of-mind with their patients well after the last appointment and before the next one.