Providing healthcare and improving the lives of patients is the primary role of any clinic. This is regardless of which field they practice in.
To keep up with increasing changes and innovations, however, takes time and money. Training and investment in equipment are necessary to maintain a continual path of improvement.
Private healthcare areas such as dentists, chiropractors, and podiatrists, rely on revenue created from patients. This is a simple financial fact. Practices need patients to be able to operate.
According to IBISWorld, there are 13,49 dental practices across the UK today. There is no doubt that some dental practices are providing better services than others, and as such, they are receiving more patients.
So, what can a clinic’s management do to receive more patients?
There are two areas to consider when looking at receiving more patients:
Are you looking for more patients to increase revenue and continue to provide quality services? If so, you may have to look at areas of digital marketing.
Or, are you simply concerned that not enough of your existing patients are being seen each day? This is more of an area for improving working practices.
Below are some methods that could help with both of these concerns:
Make your clinic more accessible to patients
Today it seems that the internet is the preferred choice when making bookings or searching for information.
One of the more recent advancements when it comes to healthcare and the internet is the patient portal.
A patient portal means that individuals can view their own medical records almost anywhere. They can review previous visits, and perhaps make new bookings.
This can free up doctors and consultants from time-wasting visits that could have gone to more needy patients.
Manage patients’ appointments more effectively
Time isn’t only wasted on unnecessary appointments, it is also lost on no-shows.
No-show appointments cost billions of dollars each year in the US. In the UK it is much the same.
Over 15 million GP appointments are lost every year through no-shows according to the NHS.
Many patients simply forget they had a clinic appointment, others simply disregard them. Some though would have rescheduled if it wasn’t for perhaps difficulty in contacting the clinic.
Using medical appointment scheduling software allows patients to go online and choose time slots that suit them. They can book appointments and reschedule them in the event of any difficulties.
Be mobile compatible
More people are accessing the internet through their phones than there are on computers now. Regardless of what type of clinic you are running, your web presence needs to be mobile compatible.
According to Statista, around 18% of private doctor’s practices in the states are run by a solo physician in the states. This means time management is critical for getting the most patients seen.
Being mobile compatible, and using scheduling software to allow appointments to be booked could be most beneficial.
Get blogging
Writing content for relevant websites is a proven way to increase awareness. A podiatrist could write about the latest orthotic shoes. Or, if you are a dentist, you could write guest posts about the latest cosmetic advancements for teeth.
This type of content will enhance the SEO of your website, which may result in more patients visiting you online, and at your clinic.
Avoid offers and freebies, usually
It should go without saying that clinics should avoid gaudy offers and book-one session-get-one-free deals for patients, although some don’t.
Cosmetic surgery clinics have been known on occasion to offer special deals on certain procedures. This could and should lead to patients and clients being concerned about corners being cut.
Nevertheless, there are some occasions where free services can aid your patients, and perhaps free up valuable time.
During Covid, it was hard for patients to attend clinics. Indeed, some were too worried about the virus to risk travelling. One dentist offered free emergency dental advice and assessments online to help this group of patients.
Keep training and learn new techniques
Keeping abreast of the latest procedures means that you can offer new treatments to your patients.
This will help you to stay ahead of your rivals in some fields, and also provide a better service.
Embrace technology and the internet
A few years ago a chatbot therapist to treat depression was launched after a private company noted the waiting times for mental health patients.
The NHS in the UK noted that individuals with mental health problems were sometimes waiting 2 months just to receive their first appointments.
Technology is being used in some surprising and creative ways today with patient portals and online scheduling. Although there are simpler ways such as social media to keep interacting with patients and answer questions too.
Summary
Perhaps your goal is to find new patients to expand your dental practice or maybe you wish to streamline your appointment system to help more people.
Regardless of your goal, there are many ways a clinic can increase its patient footfall.
Making it easier for patients to schedule and re-schedule appointments may be the simplest way to reduce the vast amount of no-shows. Allowing access to private medical notes could also reduce meaningless GP appointments.
Technology and the internet must be embraced if clinics wish to see more patients treated successfully each day.
