At the 11th Annual Orthopedic, Spine and Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference on June 13, Ann Sells Miller, partner and chief operating officer of Advanced Healthcare Partners; Bob Reznick, MBA, president of Prizm Development; Jeff Leland, CEO of Blue Chip Surgical Partners; and Daniel Goldberg discussed the best ideas for marketing and patient development in the field of spine during a session moderated by Peter Cunningham, President of CCO Healthcare Partners. 1. Patient education and communication. Many physician and practice websites lack information for patient education. If a website is unsophisticated, it leaves a negative impression. A website with comprehensive information for patients projects that you are expert in the field, said Mr. Reznick.
As healthcare becomes increasingly consumer-driven, the need to show value becomes essential. "You need to have quality outcomes data. Patients will travel to get the best care. Practices aren't investing enough time to put together and display that data," said Mr. Leland. Patients want to see value in their care.
2. Price transparency. Patients are becoming savvy consumers; they want to know what they will be paying for their medical care. You should publish your services and their costs on your website, almost like a menu, said Mr. Reznick. "That is the future of medicine," he said.
3. Plan for the transformation of healthcare. As healthcare changes and new entities, such as accountable care organizations, form, physician and patient communication will become even more important. "One of the misrepresentations of ACOs is that patients no longer have a choice. It is important that physicians tell patients that this is not the case," said Ms. Miller. ACO patients will go where they know the cost of care. Spine practices and surgeons need to build a value strong enough that care is worth its expense, from the patient's point of view. "If you choose not to be part of an ACO, you will need a wide and well-crafted public relations platform," said Mr. Goldberg.
4. Direct to consumer marketing. "Every patient has different needs. You can't use the same kind of advertising across the board. You have to know your demographics and cater to that," said Mr. Goldberg. Each patient is different and to reach a large patient base through marketing, you need to use several different sources. "Advertising has several outlets. There are online initiatives, display ads and several offline options, such as radio," said Ms. Miller.
Marketing, like any other business strategy, needs to be carefully planned. "You need to have an integrated model. From the business operations standpoint, let physicians do what they do best. Physicians should make medical decisions and corporate and business administrators should make business decisions," said Ms. Miller. This provides a cohesive plan.
Many physicians and practices rely heavily on social media as a marketing tool. "This is one of the biggest misconceptions in medicine," said Mr. Goldberg. Just because a practice or physician has a social media presence does not mean that is the sole reason a patient chooses that provider. "Physicians often don't fully understand how social media works," said Mr. Goldberg. The ideal strategy for social media is finding a core, targeted base of potential patients, rather than reaching out with no intended audience.
5. Peer engagement. Referral sources are a large source of patient volume. Physicians should keep in touch with primary care physicians and build relationships. "Primary care doctors will be amazed if you take the few minutes to email or call them and let them know what your plan is for a patient's care," said Mr. Reznick. It takes only a few minutes to call or email a primary care physician and this is an important step towards building a lasting relationship that will foster patient development.
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5 Commonly Neglected Risks of Offering Innovative Spine Surgery
As healthcare becomes increasingly consumer-driven, the need to show value becomes essential. "You need to have quality outcomes data. Patients will travel to get the best care. Practices aren't investing enough time to put together and display that data," said Mr. Leland. Patients want to see value in their care.
2. Price transparency. Patients are becoming savvy consumers; they want to know what they will be paying for their medical care. You should publish your services and their costs on your website, almost like a menu, said Mr. Reznick. "That is the future of medicine," he said.
3. Plan for the transformation of healthcare. As healthcare changes and new entities, such as accountable care organizations, form, physician and patient communication will become even more important. "One of the misrepresentations of ACOs is that patients no longer have a choice. It is important that physicians tell patients that this is not the case," said Ms. Miller. ACO patients will go where they know the cost of care. Spine practices and surgeons need to build a value strong enough that care is worth its expense, from the patient's point of view. "If you choose not to be part of an ACO, you will need a wide and well-crafted public relations platform," said Mr. Goldberg.
4. Direct to consumer marketing. "Every patient has different needs. You can't use the same kind of advertising across the board. You have to know your demographics and cater to that," said Mr. Goldberg. Each patient is different and to reach a large patient base through marketing, you need to use several different sources. "Advertising has several outlets. There are online initiatives, display ads and several offline options, such as radio," said Ms. Miller.
Marketing, like any other business strategy, needs to be carefully planned. "You need to have an integrated model. From the business operations standpoint, let physicians do what they do best. Physicians should make medical decisions and corporate and business administrators should make business decisions," said Ms. Miller. This provides a cohesive plan.
Many physicians and practices rely heavily on social media as a marketing tool. "This is one of the biggest misconceptions in medicine," said Mr. Goldberg. Just because a practice or physician has a social media presence does not mean that is the sole reason a patient chooses that provider. "Physicians often don't fully understand how social media works," said Mr. Goldberg. The ideal strategy for social media is finding a core, targeted base of potential patients, rather than reaching out with no intended audience.
5. Peer engagement. Referral sources are a large source of patient volume. Physicians should keep in touch with primary care physicians and build relationships. "Primary care doctors will be amazed if you take the few minutes to email or call them and let them know what your plan is for a patient's care," said Mr. Reznick. It takes only a few minutes to call or email a primary care physician and this is an important step towards building a lasting relationship that will foster patient development.
More Articles on Spine:
Drs. Richard Kube & David Rothbart: 3 Key Considerations for the Transitions of Spine to ASCs
Orthopaedic Hospital Names Dr. Bruce Darden 2013 Physician of the Year
5 Commonly Neglected Risks of Offering Innovative Spine Surgery