Maximising Referral Potential: Best Practices for Private Healthcare Providers

The world of healthcare is evolving fast, and it calls for a new approach from healthcare providers. As private healthcare patients become more demanding, the industry needs to respond. Whether you have a dental surgery, optometry practice or an aesthetic skin clinic, the patient experience has never been more crucial.

How patients receive their healthcare, how they are looked after, and how they pay is more important than ever. A seamless, satisfying journey from start to finish overtakes price as a key differentiator. If you want to know how to get more patients to your clinic, it’s time to stand out and be different.

Here are five ways to maximise your marketing to get more patients:

1. Nurture patient relationships

If you want to know how to get more patients, the most important skill to have is relationship building. Today, the patient experience beats price, location and other factors. The way you treat your patients can be the deciding factor for their repeat custom or their move to another clinic. Improve relationships by listening to feedback, taking reviews seriously, handling complaints well, and training your staff.

2. Be flexible with payments

Offering affordable payment options is a great way of attracting new patients to your practice. Healthcare finance not only keeps life moving for patients and makes healthcare services accessible to everyone, it also brings more people through your door. Alternative payment options such as 0% finance or interest-bearing finance, help to spread the cost of healthcare bills with no disruption to your cash flow.

3. Get up to date with technology

Technology is a vital part of the patient experience because it provides ease and convenience. For healthcare businesses, this could mean offering appointment scheduling through apps or using a financing service where repayments are tracked and paid via mobile. The easier you can make it for your patients to reach you and pay you, the easier it will be to get them into your clinic time and time again.

4. Work on your referral potential

One of the best ways of increasing patient numbers in private healthcare is through referrals. But no-one is going to recommend you if you don’t have a smooth and seamless referrals process. Make referral forms clear and concise, promise prompt scheduling for referred patients, deliver an outstanding service, and provide direct contact numbers so you’re easy to contact.

It also pays to make your marketing clear. If you allow patients to spread the cost of payments, ensure referred patients are made aware of this too.

5. Build a strong online presence

Businesses without a strong online presence will find it hard to attract new patients due to poor visibility. Most people now go online to find doctors, eye care specialists, dentists or cosmetic surgeons. So not only will your website SEO need to be effective to help you rank on search engines, but you’ll also need to keep an eye on your online reputation.

Check for reviews, always try to respond to negative ones, and find your voice on social media. And try to use the different appropriate platforms available too. Find patients by where they like to spend their time online.