Where are all of the patients? Any doctor who has ever experienced low patient volume has probably asked himself or herself this question at some point. There can be obvious explanations. Maybe people just aren’t getting sick or hurt at the moment. Maybe it’s a seasonal lull. But maybe it’s something more serious. There are many plausible explanations for why your practice’s patient volume is low. Good news: Many of them are within your control to address. Here are 10 possibilities, as well as some solutions. There’s nowhere to park This is especially important for doctors in cities. Whether a patient can park easily could be make-or-break in terms of whether they choose your practice over another with more convenient options. This is doubly important if your practice services senior patients. Make sure any parking arrangements you’ve made are clearly explained on your website, in any written patient communications, and over the phone when patients are booking an appointment. If you don’t have a parking lot of your own, investigate partnering with a paid lot, or working with a neighboring business to rent spaces from them. Patients can’t find your practice Even if you’re not in private practice, it’s likely that your practice still has a Google Business page that shows up in searches and on Google Maps or Zocdoc. Data for these listings often come from users. Users frequently botch the details, such as your exact address. Google Maps could be sending patients a block in the wrong direction. Lack of clear signage is also a common problem. If you’re in a shopping plaza or corporate complex, make sure that any exterior signage your landlord allows is clear. Once again, precise details about your location should be included in any patient communications and calls to book appointments. Your online reviews are terrible If your patient volume is low, it could be that what people are saying online about you is to blame. Even if you don’t own your practice, poor reviews on Google or any physician-specific review sites could torpedo your patient volume. Prospective patients are checking these reviews before making their appointments, in most cases. Ask your employer’s marketing department to put together a referral program. It could be as simple as an automated email that asks patients to rate their experience on a scale of 1-5. Patients who rate you a 5 will then receive a follow-up email asking them to share their experience as a Google review. No marketing department? Order some business cards that direct patients where to review you. Only give these to patients who you know have had good experiences. You haven’t built relationships with other physicians You’re probably thinking, I became an employed physician so that I didn’t have to worry about referrals. Hate to break it to you, but just because you’re in a physician network doesn’t mean other physicians know about you or your practice. Take time to introduce yourself to other doctors. Tell them about your practice, where it’s located, and what you bring to the table as a physician. Then, do more listening than talking. Ask them questions about their practice, where they went to medical school, the kinds of patients they’re seeing, what they do for fun — literally just about anything to get them talking. The key is to show genuine interest so that when they need to refer a patient, you are top-of-mind. Keep in mind, this is a two-way street. Refer patients to them, and they’re more likely to send some to you. Your bedside manner isn’t good Word of mouth continues to be one of the biggest drivers of patient referrals. And if patients are sharing their experiences, you can bet safely that they’re discussing your bedside manner. This might be difficult to hear, considering how pressed for time you are, but taking a few extra minutes to explain a patient’s condition and field any questions will go a long way in improving your perceived bedside manner. Remember, people tend to form lasting impressions of you based on their first and last impressions. Concentrate on nailing your first and last encounters with patients. Welcome them warmly to your practice and introduce yourself. Before they leave, see if they have any questions, thank them for choosing you, and let them know that their health is your top priority. Your front desk staff is rude The importance of first impressions is not only true for you, but also true for your front desk staff. Before a patient interacts with you, they’re dealing with the people behind the desk either in person or over the phone. Patients could be forming a negative opinion of you before they even step foot in your practice. Make sure that your office team is greeting patients, running patient intake smoothly, and is properly trained in handling patient calls and billing. When it comes to billing, the key is to minimize surprises. Make sure that patients are aware of any charges that they might incur. Your marketing is weak or non-existent If you work for a hospital system or a healthcare network, chances are your employer has a marketing department. Find out what the marketing team is doing for your practice — if anything. A lot of the items on this list — such as managing your Google Business page, creating a website, and tending to online reviews — fall within their scope of responsibilities. If you’re in private practice, it might be worth working with a marketing firm to get your practice on patients’ radar. Just keep in mind that no amount of marketing will fix a broken practice. Your office is outdated For most doctors, their office decor is an afterthought. Most only seem to care whether their space is organized and sanitary. But if the space hasn’t been refreshed since the 1980s, it might be time for a few cosmetic upgrades. This might be a harder sell for employed physicians. You could always try making the case that your current, outdated furnishings can’t be cleaned as easily. But for physicians in private practice — especially those offering elective or cosmetic procedures — a spa-like interior can be a selling point. You have no web presence Even for employed physicians, a strong web presence is essential. Most physician employers have devoted pages on their corporate website to each physician’s practice. Make sure yours is robust, including details about you, your education, your practice, and your services. If possible, including a brief video in which you introduce yourself is also beneficial. Patients like to get a feel for who you are before they arrive at your practice. A slick website is even more important for doctors in private practice. Your site should include all of the aforementioned details, plus insurance information, patient resources, location information, and links to any social media pages, if you have them. It’s impossible to make an appointment Speaking of your web presence, you’re going to want a patient portal that allows patients to book appointments online. Millennials and other younger generations hate making phone calls. You don’t want to lose a prospective patient just because they couldn’t make an appointment online. Additionally, you’ll want your patient portal to allow patients to complete any paperwork ahead of their visit. This will help keep your practice running on time and minimize time spent waiting for appointments. Source
