It is easy to get bogged down in the day to day details of working in a busy medical practice. While it is important to get each patient back to the doctor as quickly as possible with minimal wait, it is also equally important to spend a little extra time with them to better assess their needs. We sometimes get trapped in the diagnostic roles of our job that we forget how a good question and answer session can improve the patient/provider relationship and increase patient satisfaction. Engaging patients also provides the opportunity to mention additional services offered they may not be aware of. Medical marketing does not need to be difficult. It just takes a little extra time and dedication to reap significant benefits.

I have had many clients tell me their patients did not know they performed certain services because they weren’t effectively marketing and talking about them. These patients were going elsewhere for these services. Talk about potential revenue walking out the door!

So how do you do this? It is quite easy once you get the hang of it – just ask open ended questions of your patients when you are examining them. For example, ask what their hobbies are. Can any services your practice offers make them enjoy their hobbies more? If you work for an ENT practice and the patient enjoys outdoor activities, perhaps their allergies are getting in the way. Allergy testing and treatment may be a good service to mention. If you work for an ophthalmology practice, perhaps LASIK will provide them with the visual freedom they desire.

No matter what you do, there are always questions that can be asked. By taking the time to get to know your patients better, you show them not only that you care but you also position your practice for the opportunity to capture additional revenue. We are here to grow and there is no better way than from your existing patient base!