executivedoctorcare-blog

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Concierge Doctors, Stop "Chasing" Patients

There is nothing more frustrating than spending a few thousand dollars on a postcard or letter and a week later your office received five phone calls, one email and 43 return to sender stickers.

This form of marketing is what advertising agencies call "push" marketing. This form of marketing "pushes" a product or service onto an individual when they are not yet ready to buy or learn more about your service. The goal of such campaigns is to create TOMA or Top of Mind Awareness. The Problem With "Push" Marketing. It's expensive and the ROI (return on investment) is minimal. The Solution. "Pull" Marketing.

"Pull" Marketing is a marketing approach that allows you to gradually attract prospective patients to your business when they are ready. With the advent of internet marketing, Google and Social Media, "Pull" marketing has been proven to be successful in tracking ROI, dollars spent, clicks, hits, and much, much more.

Since every doctor and their office staff are constantly looking for that one unique golden nugget of marketing wisdom, today I'll tell you what NOT to do when advertising your practice in PRINT.

The biggest mistake people make when promoting a product, person or program in print is...they don't include a low-risk offer.

Bottom Line - If you are currently using "Push" marketing and would like to learn more about the benefits and cost-effectiveness of "Pull" marketing in helping to grow your concierge medicine practice, you will want to connect with a social media marketing agency that understands these core principles.

If you liked this post and would like to learn more about concierge medicine, you should visit a great resource for North Carolina Concierge Doctors.

[executivedoctorcare-blog]

Concierge Doctors, Stop "Chasing" Patients

There is nothing more frustrating than spending a few thousand dollars on a postcard or letter and a week later your office received five phone calls, one email and 43 return to sender stickers.

This form of marketing is what advertising agencies call "push" marketing. This form of marketing "pushes" a product or service onto an individual when they are not yet ready to buy or learn more about your service. The goal of such campaigns is to create TOMA or Top of Mind Awareness. The Problem With "Push" Marketing. It's expensive and the ROI (return on investment) is minimal. The Solution. "Pull" Marketing.

"Pull" Marketing is a marketing approach that allows you to gradually attract prospective patients to your business when they are ready. With the advent of internet marketing, Google and Social Media, "Pull" marketing has been proven to be successful in tracking ROI, dollars spent, clicks, hits, and much, much more.

Since every doctor and their office staff are constantly looking for that one unique golden nugget of marketing wisdom, today I'll tell you what NOT to do when advertising your practice in PRINT.

The biggest mistake people make when promoting a product, person or program in print is...they don't include a low-risk offer.

Bottom Line - If you are currently using "Push" marketing and would like to learn more about the benefits and cost-effectiveness of "Pull" marketing in helping to grow your concierge medicine practice, you will want to connect with a social media marketing agency that understands these core principles.

If you liked this post and would like to learn more about concierge medicine, you should visit a great resource for Florida Concierge Doctors.

[executivedoctorcare-blog]

Branding 'Concierge Medicine'

Concierge medicine has had somewhat of a "brand/identity" issue in the media and health care marketplace. Concierge medicine (also known as "Direct Care" and sometimes closely aligned with the term "Direct Primary Care") is a term used to describe a relationship with a primary care physician in which the patient pays an affordable fee for access and cost effective care with their primary care doctor.

Concierge medicine has had somewhat of a "brand/identity" issue in the media and health care marketplace. It has also been referred to as: membership medicine; boutique medicine; retainer-based medicine; concierge health care; cash only practice; direct care; direct primary care and direct practice medicine. While a typical physician can carry a patient load of 2,500+ patients, a concierge physician generally limits their practice to between 300-600 patients or more. While all concierge medicine practices share similarities, they vary widely in their structure, payment requirements, and form of operation. In particular, they differ in the level of service provided and the amount of the fee charged. There are an estimated 5,000 concierge, or membership medicine doctors throughout the U.S., according to SIMPD. However, there is only one organization tracking the specific number of concierge/direct primary care practices in the U.S. today, Concierge Medicine Today, an online news agency dedicated to educating traditional practice physicians and patients about the cost effectiveness and value these types of practices can provide to both physicians and patients.

This term also refers to those primary care and family practice physicians who have chosen to provide healthcare services in a more convenient, accessible and cost efficient manner to their patients. These physicians charge patients a membership fee ranging from $600 to $1,800/year and higher. In exchange for this fee, concierge practices generally include 24/7 access to a personal physicians' cell phone, same-day appointments with no waiting, personal coordination of care with specialists, personal follow up when admitted to a hospital or ER, house calls, and more.

Find a concierge doctor or direct primary care physician near you and heed this advice and you, your family and everyone around you just might be happier!

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Concierge Medicine - A Personalized Healthcare Experience

Over recent years the healthcare environment in conjunction with the insurance industry has been subject to significant amounts of criticism. However, this criticism is merited as the United States spends more money per capita on healthcare than any other country in the world. As a country, we spend over 15% of our GDP on healthcare. Based on these statistics alone, one might assume the United States has the best quality of care in the world. Unfortunately we all know what assuming does. The World Health Organization ranks the United States 37th in the world behind such countries as Costa Rica (36th), Dominican Republic (35th) and Saudi Arabia (26th) to name a few. With the passage of the healthcare bill: H.R.3590 - Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, people are concerned their insurance premiums are going to soar upwards. Additionally, due to the additional burden of patients that will be covered under the plan, quality of care may be further compromised due to longer wait times. This does paint a relatively gloomy picture of the current healthcare environment in the United States. However, relatively unknown to many Americans, there is another legitimate option out there: concierge medicine.

Concierge medicine is defined as is a relationship between a patient and a primary care physician in which the patient pays an annual fee or retainer. In general, Concierge physicians care for fewer patients than in a conventional practice. This is becoming all the more prevalent as many are concerned that traditional doctors will be overwhelmed by the additional volume of customers that are insured under the new healthcare bill. However, the primary benefit of concierge medicine is the personalized care the patient stands to receive. No longer will the patient have to wait in the waiting room for 30 minutes past their appointment time. Furthermore, most doctors that are practicing concierge medicine commonly give out their phone numbers to their patients. This allows for around the clock access to a physician that the patient is already comfortable with. Additionally, most concierge physicians guarantee same day or next day appointments. This focus on personalized attention is attempting to put the focus back on the doctor patient relationship that seems to have been compromised by traditional doctors in recent years.

The benefits of concierge medicine however are not limited just to ease of access. The quality of the care is in most cases exceptional. With the smaller number of patients in each practice, there is more time spent on each patient who gives the doctor an in-depth understanding of health conditions, health risks and tailor made wellness programs to meet individual needs. Further benefits include: More time to oversee care when the patient needs a specialist or hospitalization. Numerous Concierge physicians will meet patients at the emergency room and oversee their care both in the emergency room and after admission. Concierge physicians will even accompany a patient to certain appointments with specialists, house calls when required, more time for the physician to conduct research and engage in continuing education and more time for office staff to follow up with patients to ensure that lab, x-ray and specialist visits are concluded.

As most of us that have been to the doctor in recent years, it is a constant struggle to deal with the intermediary between the patient and the doctor; the dreaded insurance company. Some concierge practices do not accept insurance of any kind. These are also referred to as "cash-only" or "direct primary care" practices. By refusing to deal with insurance companies, these practices can keep overhead and administrative costs low, thereby providing affordable healthcare to patients. Some concierge practices do however take insurance, even Medicare, but ask for an annual fee for services exclusive of what is covered by insurance plans. It is important to note concierge medicine physicians are typically not a part of HMO or PPO networks and it is important to note that Concierge medicine is not a replacement for insurance. Other than physical exam services that may be embedded in the annual fee, concierge physician's bill their patients for medical services provided in their offices.

If the average service of traditional medical services is sufficient, then this service may not be right for you. However, if it is exceptional care you desire, concierge medicine is worth looking into.

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Concierge Medicine - Not Just For the Super Rich Anymore

A new drama on USA Network this summer has brought attention to a new trend in the practice of medicine. Royal Pains is the story of a concierge doctor in the Hamptons who treats the super rich in the privacy of their own homes.

But Concierge Medicine Florida not just for the super rich anymore. I became aware of one aspect of it recently in Orlando, Florida. Our daughter found a doctor that she liked. Despite having very comprehensive health insurance from a major carrier, her doctor advised her that in an effort to control the number of patients he would see, he was charging an annual fee for patients who wanted to continue to be treated by him. He was not accepting any new patients and current patients who pay a sliding scale annual fee would have more immediate access to him.

Anyone who has tried to make an appointment for their annual physical with a gynecologist has probably discovered that the wait to get an appointment is mind numbing. Shortages of practicing OB/GYNs has been well documented. I was made painfully aware that it is a growing problem recently when I got my card reminding me that my annual GYN physical was due. I called the next day and the first appointment they had was 6 months later. My gynecologist is a member of a large practice in a fairly large metropolitan area. I'm sure waiting times vary depending on geography but the trend is there.

Which brings us to the concept of concierge medicine. There was a time when doctors made house calls. Few of us remember those days but in the not too distant past doctors, especially family doctors, knew their patients and their history and often treated them at their own homes.

With managed care doctors moved away from this practice model. It is not unusual for a primary care physician to have a patient roster of 3000 or more and might see as many as 30 patients a day. Simple math shows that in an 8 hour day a doctor has 16 minutes per patient. Some doctors decided that was not the way they wanted to practice medicine. In 2003 a non-profit organization, the Society for Innovative Medical Practice Design (SIMPD) was formed. It is the trade organization for doctors who operate retainer driven practices. It is estimated that over 5000 doctors now practice some form of concierge medicine.

The super rich have always known the value of a concierge doctor or as some call it a direct care physician. However, in the last few years more and more doctors and patients are finding value in hiring a personal physician. The promise of concierge medicine is appealing.

A physician on retainer agrees to provide direct care to the patient with convenient, unhurried appointments that start on time and go as long as necessary. The private physician focuses on prevention and keeping his patients healthy. In the event a patient does need the help of a specialist, the private physician coordinates with the specialist and assists with diagnostics and advocacy if necessary.