Food for Thought on Physician Involvement in Social Media
As healthcare continues to advance in it’s adoption and involvement in the social media space, fortunately, we see more and more physicians “dipping their toes” into what many consider uncharted waters. Patients, caregivers and the vast population of online health information seekers stand to gain insurmountable value from this interest and participation by physicians. With so many content sources available online, many unvetted... Read More
Personalized Patient Experiences: Doctors Still Make House Calls?
I recently ran across an article entitled, “These Doctors Make House Calls—And Love It” These MDs had taken a cue from the past to create a personal touch for their practices. After a little bit of research, I realized this blogging doctor wasn’t the only one still making house calls. According to the American Academy of Home Care Physicians, Medicare reimbursed physicians for 2.3 million house calls in 2009, a half million more than in 2002.... Read More
Are you the doctor of my dreams?
Speed dating is usually reserved for, well, dating. But now, one hospital is using that 5-minute, musical chairs meet-and-greet scenario to match patients and doctors. Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital has changed the standard marketing game for healthcare networks and physicians with a new program called “Doc Shop”. Over an hour luncheon, patients can meet handfuls of doctors and see which would fit their needs best. Those who have taken... Read More
AMA’s Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs Report Comments on Medical Mystery Shopping
This report comments that “Physicians have an ethical responsibility to engage in activities that contribute to continual improvements in patient care. One method for promoting such quality improvement is through the use of secret shopper “patients” who have been appropriately trained to provide feedback about physician performance in the clinical setting.” Read More
Medical Mystery Shoppers Help your Practice Differentiate from the Competition
Physicians are challenged with the changing economic climate, shrinking reimbursements and increasing costs of doing business. Practice growth is becoming more challenging as patients have many options for their health needs—can a successful, growing practice be achieved in the competitive medical field? The good news is yes! Successful practices realize that they must differentiate themselves from their competition to continue to attract the patients... Read More
35% switch doctors because…
Image by libraryman via Flickr Do you know what your patients want when they call and visit your office? Besides the obvious need to address a health related concern, they would like a certain level of experience—a positive experience, that is, during their office visit. Gone are the days physician offices could be lax in their customer service skills. Patients today are consumers that have choices and options, including which providers... Read More
Remember they are paying you…
Patients are busy, overscheduled and out of time. A lengthy wait to see their physician can be very frustrating and a huge determining factor on whether they continue to see that physician for their healthcare needs. On average, patients expect to wait between 10-12 minutes to see their physician from the time they check in with the receptionist to the time the nurse calls them back to the exam room. Beyond that time frame, most patients consider... Read More
