Like a wobbly moth
emerging from its
cocoon, healthcare
organizations are
spreading their wings and
learning to fly again. As a
healthcare marketer, are you
doing things differently, or are
you just rehashing the same
old strategies and tactics?
Based on what I’m observing,
hearing, and experiencing,
I challenge healthcare marketers
and practice managers to
think about these four statements:
There must be a
bona fide reason for
in-person visits.
Video and telehealth visits
are here to stay. The American
public needed a little push to try
telemedicine, and the pandemic
provided a massive shove.
According to research published
in Health Affairs, 30.1%
of all visits were conducted via
telehealth during the COVID-19
period. Although there was an
increase in telehealth visits, the
overall visit volume dropped by
35% from the pre-COVID-19 period
to the COVID-19 period.
There is pent-up demand for
healthcare. But if your practice
believes that people will automatically
revert to in-person
visits, you’re mistaken. Few
people will choose the hassle
of parking, sitting in a waiting
room, and being exposed to
viruses over receiving care in
the comfort and convenience
of their own home.
It’s time to think creatively
about why someone should
choose an in-person visit. Here
are a few ideas:
• Can you clearly define the
advantages of an in-person
visit at your practice? If so,
write them down and communicate
22 DALLAS MEDICAL JOURNAL • October 2021
them to your patients in
simple terms.
• Are there some symptoms
that would be better assessed
in person? If so, highlight
those to your patients and
prospective patients.
• Do not assume that
patients know what to expect
or will read your website. A
personalized email or text
message to patients who have
not been in your office in 12+
months is a nice way to reconnect
with them before they
walk through your door. Have
you changed your check-in process?
Are temperature checks
still required? Are masks
required—even if you are vaccinated.
Can you explain why?
• Is there an easy and
convenient way to “bundle”
required in-person services
(e.g., blood work, other diagnostic
tests) with a physician
visit? Placing a higher value on
patients’ time and telling them
about it may bring patients
back to the office. Thank you,
Flo and Progressive Insurance.
Online reputation
management is
critical to newpatient
acquisition.
According to SoftwareAdvice.
com, almost three-quarters
(71%) of surveyed patients use
online reviews as the very first
step to finding a new doctor, so
your online reputation is often
the first impression you make
on many potential patients.
This research finding is consistent
with multiple other studies
over the past 10 years, and all
point to the same conclusion:
Online reviews matter.
Every physician practice
manager I talk with still asks
the same thing, “Our patients
love us, but how do we get
more reviews? How do we
get rid of the bad reviews?”
The simple answer: You use
MONEY MATTERS
Health Care Marketing
in 2021: The World Has
Changed, Have You?
By Claire L. Carlo,
President,
The Reds Group
Strategic Services, LLC
Contributor: Tara Ryan,
Director of Marketing,
99 MGMT