Your healthcare practice needs patients. Without a steady stream of new and returning patients, you can’t provide the care you’ve trained for, and your business won’t thrive. Attracting and retaining patients is just as important for your practice as providing excellent patient care is.
How to Attract More Patients
Ready to increase your patient roster and make individuals more likely to book with your practice again? These tips will help your practice grow.
1. Make it easy to book appointments
When it’s easy for patients to schedule an appointment with one of your providers, they’ll more likely choose your organization over another. Since every patient has different booking preferences, offer multiple scheduling options.
Online booking makes it easy for busy patients to reserve an appointment without sitting on hold or calling your office during their day.
Offering a call-back service can also streamline booking for patients. When a patient calls, take their name and phone number and return their call at a later time. They won’t have to sit on hold and can continue their day while waiting for the return call.
2. Ask for reviews/referrals
Word of mouth is one of the most reliable ways to attract new patients. Ask your current patients to leave good reviews for your practice on sites like Google or Yelp. You can also ask them to refer your practice to friends and family.
To sweeten the deal, offer patients who refer others to you a discount on their next appointment or service.
3. Focus on convenience
Focus on efforts that make your patients’ lives easier. Allow them to pre-register for appointments online, or let them choose their communication methods. Some patients prefer text message appointment confirmations and reminders, while others like a phone call.
The more you focus on what your patients need and how best to serve them, the more likely they’ll be to schedule subsequent appointments with you.
4. Train your team
Your front-of-house staff is the face of your practice. If they’re warm and welcoming whenever patients come in, the overall patient experience will improve. The same is true when your staff answers the phone. Train them to be friendly and polite to anyone who enters your practice or reaches out by phone, email, or online form.
5. Pay attention to your online reputation
Most patients start their search for a healthcare provider online. Making your healthcare practice as visible as possible means more potential patients will find you. Claim your Google Business profile and get listed in various healthcare directories. Also, monitor what patients say about your practice online. Good reviews mean more patients, while negative reviews can deter people.
Partner with a Patient Engagement Company to Help You Get More Patients
Rectangle Health’s Practice Management Bridge® allows your practice to improve the patient experience by increasing transparency and streamlining payment and scheduling.
