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
You want other offices and medical staffs to get to know your staff and to be familiar with what you do. There’s no better way than to create a lunch-and-learn program in your office and extend an invitation to other offices in the area. At the program, have all of the staff members introduce themselves. Provide a tour of your office and give a 3- to 5-minute lecture on areas of your gynecologic interest and expertise.
5. ACKNOWLEDGE THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF REFERRING PHYSICIANS AND THEIR FAMILIES
If you see that one of your referring physicians has received an honor or award, send him a congratulatory note. If her children have been recognized for academic or athletic achievement, acknowledge this accomplishment with a note. You can be sure it will be one of the only acknowledgments they receive and will be deeply appreciated.
6. SHARE INFORMATION WITH A NO-MEETING JOURNAL CLUB
It’s very difficult to keep up with the medical literature. It’s challenging enough to keep up with the literature in your own specialty, let alone articles appearing in other specialty publications. One of the nicest gestures you can make is to copy any article that may be of interest to your colleagues and send it to them. Include a sticky note indicating where you would like them to look so that they don’t have to read the entire article.
7. SHARE NONMEDICAL INFORMATION, TOO
Your colleagues will appreciate it when you share nonmedical information to let them know you are thinking of them even when you are not discussing patient care. For example, one of my colleagues collects fine pens. When I saw an article about a very expensive pen made with diamonds, I sent the story to my friend, suggesting that he tell his wife what was on his wish list.
8. KEEP THE REFERRING DOCTOR IN THE MEDICAL LOOP
If you are caring for a patient and plan to discharge her from the hospital, make sure that you or someone in your office contacts the referring doctor to inform him that the patient is being discharged so he doesn’t make unnecessary rounds. Other times to notify the referring doctor:
upon admission of her patient to the hospital
after surgery or a procedure
when you receive a significant laboratory or pathology report.
9. BE USER-FRIENDLY
If you perform gynecologic surgery on a referred patient, be sure to dictate a discharge summary. If the patient is to be discharged with gynecologic medications, give the patient their names in writing. Another convenience for the patient: Arrange your follow-up appointment on the same day she is to return to see the referring physician.
10. DON’T FORGET NONPHYSICIAN REFERRAL SOURCES
Nurses, pharmacists, pharmaceutical representatives, social workers, lawyers, beauticians, and manicurists—all of these professionals are likely to refer patients to you if you keep them in the loop.
11. BOTTOM LINE
You can build a practice by word of mouth by doing a great job of caring for patients, hoping that they will tell others about their positive experience. However, there are other opportunities to enhance your practice—notably, by nurturing your relationship with referring physicians. Try a few of these ideas and you will certainly see your referrals increase significantly.
