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jma -> Re: How to get Doctor Refferals for my PT office (Any Marketing Tips?) (June 19, 2005 9:49:00 AM)
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Hello,
Here is a nice article from the May ADVANCE that talked about this issue.
"Spreading the Word
Starting a private practice is no easy task. You've got to address all kinds of factors such as the legal structure of your business, how to take payments and insurance, whether you'll hire employees, and where to set up shop.
While all these choices can vary based on your needs and situation, there is one facet of private practice that is not optional: patients. Every practice needs them in order to succeed. But how do you get them to come to you?
The Marketing Challenge
For private practice owner Michael Braun, OTA, getting referrals has taken a lot of hard work and a little bit of luck. He and his partner, Paul Goodlander, PTA, started Braun Goodlander Rehabilitation and Fitness Services in 2002. The two men met while working in skilled nursing facilities in Florida, and decided that they could provide a better quality of care.
"We wanted to give the patients one-on-one therapy instead of having to work with two to three patients at a time," Braun said.
But a good idea alone won't get you patients. Many of the practice's first referrals came through Braun's wife. Jennifer Braun, OTR, works on a PRN basis for the practice to do evaluations, but also works full time as an OT in other facilities. Jennifer had done some work for a hand surgeon who sent some clients to the private practice for splinting and rehab. Those hand referrals got the ball rolling; and from there, Braun and Goodlander started marketing their services to other referral sources in the community.
"A lot of our marketing effort is explaining to [physicians] exactly what OT can do and how we are different from a lot of other outpatient clinics," Braun said.
First, however, you need to get some face time with the physician to be able to sell yourself. And with the high number of demands on a doctor's time, that isn't easy. "It is hard to get into the physicians' [offices] and see them directly," Braun admitted, "but if you are able to get past the barrier and see the doctor, it can increase your referral sources."
Pounding the pavement to physician offices is what ADVANCE's business columnist Iris Kimberg, MS, PT, OTR, calls "old school marketing." It is a practice that has been around since Kimberg first entered the rehab field more than 20 years ago.
"I would send out announcements and letters to say who I was and what services I offered, and try to get into their offices to meet them or go out to lunch," said Kimberg, who sold her first private practice and has since started a new rehab company, all in New York. "But the doctors have no time. It makes marketing to the doctors almost impossible."
A New Approach
Visiting doctors' offices to try for face time and leave literature about your services should definitely be a part of your marketing efforts, Kimberg said. But to further boost your exposure, she suggests taking a cue from the pharmaceutical industry.
"Instead of marketing to the doctors, they market directly to the consumer," she said. That approach is almost critical "in today's world with the increased competition for health care." The catch is that the patient still has to go back to the doctor for the referral, so the doctor is still part of the equation.
For example, Kimberg suggested, run a press release in the local newspaper. When a prospective patient contacts you, then you take the ball and run with it call the patient's physician, explain that the patient approached you about providing service, and tell him what you can offer the patient.
"Marketing to doctors has to be more about proving the value of what we do, and that happens by showing what we can do," Kimberg explained. "Doctors are happy when you do something that makes them look good. If you help their patient, they become a better doctor."
Don't stop at consumers, either. Look for other middle men who can help you spread the word, and create a message tailored to their particular niche. Braun has seen positive results from marketing toward golf and tennis pros at local country clubs and recreational facilities. "We have developed literature on tennis elbow and golfer's elbow and what we do to address those injuries," Braun said. "It has increased the number of referrals and referral sources."
Braun's practice has also brought in other professionals to offer a wider range of services. A kinesiologist, Aaron Mattes, joined the practice in early 2004. Braun and Goodlander now utilize his stretching technique (www.stretchingusa.com) with some of their clients. Later that same year, Dr. M. Patrice Callahan, a physiatrist, joined the practice and now serves as medical director. Both Mattes and Dr. Callahan operate as independent practitioners, rather than employees of Braun Goodlander Rehabilitation.
Kimberg provides workshops, seminars and private consultations for practitioners in all stages of private practice. One of the tips she gives is to market to patient service organizations in your community, such as disease-specific support groups or local branches of groups like the Alzheimer's Association. Create materials that explain how occupational therapy can address the unique needs of members of these groups.
A robust marketing plan will include a number of approaches. Old-school methods of mailing out literature to physician offices and taking doctors out to lunch still play a role, "but you have to be realistic about the return on that investment you are going to get," Kimberg said. Combine those efforts with messages directed at consumers that explain exactly how you can help them.
Kimberg ha seen full-page ads for athletic trainers in the New York Times. "You have to make the assumption that they are getting some results," she said. "There is so much more competition for the health care consumers today. Therapists will miss the boat if they don't market directly to consumers."
For more information, contact Iris Kimberg: [URL=http://www.nytherapyguide.com]www.nytherapyguide.com[/URL] or infonytherapy@aol.com
Jill Glomstad is on staff at ADVANCE and can be reached at jglomstad@merion.com
Marketing to Consumers
You want the public to know about your services and how they can benefit. But where do you start without spending big bucks on standard advertising? Here are some ideas on getting your message out without blowing your budget.
Press Releases. Create a press release explaining the who, what, when, where and why of your practice, and submit it to your local paper. You may want to focus on a specific aspect of your practice that is timely; for example, when the school year is about to start, create a release on children with wheelchairs at school, and how occupational therapy helps them with their daily activities. Newspapers may print all or part of the release, or even assign a report to do an in-depth story.
Letters to the Editor. When a health-related topic appears in the mainstream media, write a letter to the editor of the local paper. Your letter should help to clarify the issue or inform readers about the news item. Avoid medical jargon, and do not blatantly promote yourself.
Offer Your Expertise. Teach an adult education class on an aspect of health or wellness on which you have experience. Offer to give a guest lecture at a local school on a health issue that fits into the curriculum. Or invite an elementary school class to visit your clinic.
Participate in the Community. Set up a booth at your community's summer festival to get direct face time with consumers. If your community is having a walk-a-thon or fun run, offer to lead the warm up stretch."
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