Physiatry Practice Management Resources

Phantom patient visits provide another method by which to monitor your practice's customer service habits. At the center, Ms. Curtis found people in the community with orthopedic problems and arranged for referrals from their primary-care physicians, then sent them on to the orthopedic group. The "phantom" patients evaluated the practice on factors such as cleanliness and overall appearance of the building, and the hospitality of the staff: how the receptionist, nurse and physician talked to them and treated them from the first telephone call all the way through the system.

Patient-satisfaction surveys can also help you investigate what patients think about the service they receive at your practice. The center is alternating two methods: Last year, they ran the phantom-patient visits, and this year they're doing patient-satisfaction surveys. Although neither method is cheap, she explains, "I always want us to be patient-satisfaction driven."

Once you're ready to move beyond your current patient base into the community, what is the best way to get the word out about your practice? "I think that some of the old ways are still some of the good ways," Ms. Anwar says of marketing techniques in general.

Patient education, for example, is a very effective method of marketing your practice, she says. One way for physicians to educate patients and market their practice at the same time is by writing a health column for a neighborhood newspaper or local magazine.

To get an article or column in a newspaper or magazine, you can establish a relationship with the editor of that publication and, possibly, have a professional write it for you. You can shortcut that process, Ms. Anwar suggests, if you are willing to spend some money. Simply buy some advertising space in a publication and create an "advertorial" column. In that space, you can write whatever you want, she explains. "'Advertorials' look like editorials, but they're actually advertisements."

Physicians can also promote their practice inexpensively by going out and talking in the community. You have to "subsection" your market, explains Michael Parshall, a consultant at The Health Care Group in Plymouth Meeting, Pa. "If you're dealing with an older population, start going to nursing homes and community centers for retired folks." If you're a pediatrician, you can go into the schools and talk to the children on health matters that would be of interest to them, he explains.

If you have a nice, clean and inviting office, you may want to host seminars, says Ms. Anwar. By having people come into your office, they've already made the first connection. However, she warns, if your office is not attractive, do not bring people in. Also, keep in mind, a seminar must be carefully planned and orchestrated. In fact, you should take at least three months to plan all the details with a consultant, she suggests.

If you are in a newly developing community, Mr. Parshall recommends using the Welcome Wagon or a similar operation to send out advertisements to potential patients. However, Ms. Anwar warns that, generally, direct-mail advertisements are not always effective. "We're just getting too much junk mail these days," she points out.

Similarly, both Ms. Anwar and Ms. Curtis do not believe in large Yellow Pages advertisements. However, if you decide to use the directory to advertise, Mr. Parshall suggests including the insurance companies you accept, as well as your Website address, if you have one. Patients who do look in the phone book to choose a physician want to know, among other things, whether you accept their insurance. "Very few practices include that information," Mr. Parshall notes.

Finally, the marketing technique dubbed "branding" has grown popular in recent years. While Mr. Parshall asserts the importance of establishing your identity with an eye-catching logo, Ms. Anwar has not been sold on the benefits of this technique. "I think we've been 'logoed' to death," she says, "I wouldn't waste my time because they are expensive, and if you decide to do a cheap one, unfortunately, it looks it."