Healthcare organizations can disrupt competitor referral chains by differentiating their sports medicine programs, according to Advisory Board.
Even if primary care physician referral patterns don't change, sports medicine can disrupt competitor referral chains in two ways:
1. By offering specialized, fast services. Patients surveyed by Advisory Board said the most important factors in physician selection are being seen within a week of scheduling a consultation and having a physician known for a specific area of expertise.
2. By creating a clear pathway to orthopedic surgery. Staying within the health system for ongoing care or surgery should be the easiest option for patients. For instance, the Chicago-area NorthShore Orthopaedic & Spine Institute increased surgical volumes by 42 percent over five years, in part because it incorporated a musculoskeletal continuity clinic into its orthopedic immediate-access model.