Four pillars of a successful practice: 3. Obtain and maintain physician referrals
Here are 10 simple strategies you can use to increase referrals
to your practice
READ THE REST OF THE SERIES
Pillar 1: Keep your current patients happy (March 2013)
Dr. Baum describes his number one strategy to retain patients (Audiocast, March 2013)
Pillar 2: Attract new patients (May 2013)
Pillar 4: Motivate your staff (August 2013)
Discussions of medical marketing often begin with the three As: availability, affability, and affordability. But most physicians already think of themselves as available, likeable, and offering appropriately priced services.
How do you differentiate yourself from the competition?
Fancy stationery; a slick, three-color brochure; a catchy logo; and a Web site will not do the trick. In fact, these are the last things you need.
One of the biggest misconceptions about marketing is that, to do it well, you must spend lots of money on peripherals. In truth, there are many other actions that are far more effective and essential to marketing than merely polishing your public relations image. The most essential element of your marketing plan is to make your practice user-friendly.
Nowhere is this need greater than when it comes to working with colleagues who are capable of referring patients to you—or are already doing so. In this article, I describe 10 strategies you can use to enhance your relationships with referring physicians.
1. WRITE AN EFFECTIVE REFERRAL LETTER
To obtain referrals from your colleagues, you need to ensure that your name crosses their mind and desk as frequently as possible—and in a positive fashion.
If you interview referring physicians, you will find that prompt communication is one of the most important reasons they refer a patient to a particular provider. According to the Annals of Family Medicine, more than 50% of physicians state that effective communication is the reason they select a doctor for referral (TABLE).1
| How primary care physicians select a doctor for referral | |
| Medical skill of the specialist | 87.5% |
| Access to the practice and acceptance of insurance | 59.0% |
| Previous experience with the specialist | 59.2% |
| Quality of communication | 52.5% |
| Board certification of the specialist | 33.9% |
| Medical school, residency | <1% |
Source: Kinchen et al1
Keep your referral letter short
The traditional referral letter is far too long, often 2 or 3 pages. It usually arrives 10 to 14 days after the patient was seen and is very expensive, costing a practice $12–$15 for each letter sent. The goal of an effective referral letter: Get it there before the patient returns to the primary care provider.
The key ingredients of an effective referral letter are:
diagnosis
medications you have prescribed for the patient
your treatment plan.
The referring doctor is not interested in the nuances of your history or physical exam. They just want the three ingredients listed above.
For example, let’s say that Dr. Bill Smith refers Jane Doe, who has an overactive bladder and cystocele. Her urinalysis is negative, so you prescribe an anticholinergic agent and schedule a follow-up visit in 1 month to check symptoms and to conduct a urodynamic study if she has not improved. Your letter to Dr. Smith would read as follows:
Now the letter can be faxed to the referring doctor, often before the patient leaves the office. That way you can be certain that the letter arrives before the patient calls the physician with questions or concerns.
This is the best way to keep the referring physician informed and to function as the captain of the patient’s health-care ship.
EHRs can smooth the referral process
Most electronic health records (EHRs) have the capability to fax the entire note to the referring physician. However, if you were to ask a referring physician if she would like to read your entire note, the answer would probably be “No.” Most EHRs will allow you to select fields that contain the diagnosis, medications prescribed, and the treatment plan. A sample of this kind of letter appears in the FIGURE.
2. MAKE AN EFFORT TO PERSONALLY MEET EVERY PHYSICIAN WHO REFERS A PATIENT
Not only that, but try to meet all new physicians in your area. It is important to coddle your existing sources of referrals, but don’t forget to reach out to new physicians to let them know about your areas of interest or expertise.
3. REFER YOUR NEW PATIENTS TO REFERRING PHYSICIANS
Don’t refer to the same colleagues time after time. If a doctor starts sending new patients your way, it’s in your best interest to “reverse-refer” when a patient needs a primary care doctor, endocrinologist, or cardiologist.
You can be sure these referring doctors will appreciate your recommendations.
Related Article Complex atypical endometrial hyperplasia: When to refer
4. CREATE A LUNCH-AND-LEARN PROGRAM
