Strategies for Increasing Patient Referrals

Patient Referrals are important now more than ever in today’s healthcare environment. Competitors are eagerly implementing new technology to improve the patient experience and promote patients to come through their doors. What technology is working for providers and how are they getting the patient referrals they need to keep growing? Traditional methods include word of mouth, traditional marketing, and business from other providers. While those things are still effective to some degree, providers need to implement the right technology and tools if they want to accomplish their goals in 2021. Keep reading to learn 5 strategies for increasing patient referrals.

Increasing Patient Referrals:

Automated Appointment Schedule

A great way to increase patient referrals is to make scheduling appointments as simple as possible. This tool can be an incredible asset for reducing no-show appointments at your practice and making sure your existing patients remember their appointment. An automated appointment scheduling system allows your patients to choose from a list of available appointments and sign up for automated reminders. This helps keep them in the loop regarding their appointment, always giving them plenty of time to cancel or reschedule should they need to. With a resource like this in place, your practice will stop losing valuable revenue to empty visits.

Messaging Systems

An Automated messaging system can be a great way to improve the patient experience and increase patient referrals. Patients appreciate frequent communication between themselves and your practice. Real-time communication can be time-consuming, especially when it comes to small details. If your patient needs help scheduling, refilling a prescription, or needs updates about your practice, an automated messaging system can help them. This will improve the patient experience and increase patient referrals.

Improve the Waiting Experience

The waiting experience has always been hard on the patient's experience and how they view your organization. By addressing the waiting experience, providers can improve the patient experience and increase patient referrals. Tools like a quality queue management solution enable providers to streamline a patient's waiting experience, reduce wait times, and allow patients to wait more comfortably than the traditional way. This is also useful for creating a safe public environment during the pandemic.

Secure Communication

Your patients need a secure and easy way to contact you. Open communication helps patients feel like their providers care about them and what is going on with their health and in their life. Tools like the patient portal and automated communication tools enable your practice to open the lines of communication so that your patients can stay engaged and you can increase patient referrals.

Overall Positive Patient Experience

The patient experience is the main thing providers need to improve in their chase to increase patient referrals. The better time your patients have with your practice, the more likely they are to refer others to you as well. The right combination of technology and tools can help you accomplish his.

To learn more about tools that can help you improve the patient experience and increase patient referrals, click here.