Focus Marketing Efforts on Physician Community: The Referral Source That Keeps on Giving

By Carey Reynolds, MBA

It’s no secret that one of the primary sources of new patients for ophthalmologists is the local physician community. Yet, many new ophthalmologists do not have a formalized plan in place for reaching this important audience. Here are five simple outreach strategies you can employ to help establish yourself as the preferred provider for ophthalmic care in the local community.

Focus on building long-term relationships. Dropping by the internal medicine doctor’s office to introduce yourself is a great start, but it is not enough to significantly influence referral patterns. You must be consistent and persistent, reaching out to potential referral sources at least quarterly. Remember, it’s not all about you and your needs. Take a sincere interest in the referral source’s practice, exploring what needs he or she has that you might be able to meet. For example, providing the physician with patient education materials on common eye diseases could help make counseling more efficient. Or, an informational brochure about your practice and services might help answer patients’ commonly asked questions, again helping with efficiency. Also, you can strengthen a new relationship by providing referrals to trustworthy vendors or offering suggestions on recruiting qualified staff.

Employ a systematic approach to ensure that outreach actually happens. Whether you are running your own practice or are part of a group, your “to-do” list is likely never-ending. If you wait to conduct physician outreach “when you have time,” it may occur only sporadically or, in many cases, not at all. It’s for that very reason that I recommend implementing a formalized system and building it into your practice’s ongoing operations. For example, consider devoting every Friday to having lunch with a referring physician, each month focusing on a different physician specialty. Whenever a new physician moves into your referral area, make it a priority to reach out to him or her right away and incorporate the new doctor into your marketing efforts. Whatever system you deem appropriate for your practice, put it in writing and delegate what you can to your staff. Hint: Perhaps a staff member can coordinate meeting logistics and maintaining the physician database.

Create a culture within your own practice that caters to referring physicians. Of course, you recognize that each patient referred by another provider potentially represents a pipeline of future patient referrals, but does your staff? Stress the importance of taking special care of the referring providers and their patients. Make sure that, when a doctor requests that his/her patient be seen right away, your schedule can accommodate the volume. Your staff always should treat referring physicians with respect and clearly communicate an attitude of “How can we help?”

Communicate personally, promptly, and thoroughly. After treating a referred patient, call the referring doctor personally to thank him or her for the referral and to provide an update on the patient’s progress. Develop an efficient follow-up system so that consultation letters are sent no later than two business days after the visit. Make sure the referring doctors know you are approachable and accessible. Nothing is more of a turn-off to a referring physician than not being able to reach you quickly. Your staff should know you are available and willing to speak to other providers between patients. Make sure a phone is easily accessible in or near the exam lane so patient flow is not disrupted.

Strive continuously to create a positive patient experience. Patients often give feedback about their experience to the person who referred them to your practice. It’s important your staff understands that you expect nothing less than outstanding customer service for all patients and referring physicians. Provide ongoing training and give feedback on areas of opportunity. Conduct annual patient satisfaction surveys so you can spot—and correct—areas of concern right away. Pay close attention to the overall patient experience in your practice so that any feedback given to the referring physician is positive. When patients express their appreciation to you, proactively ask them to report their positive experience back to the referring doctor.

Fostering strong relationships with the local physician community is a fantastic way to grow your practice. By developing a formal outreach strategy and positioning physician relations at center stage in your daily operations, you will form a solid foundation of loyal referral sources that will enhance your patient volume for years to come.

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