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December 2006
One of the most important issues intrinsic to any medical practice is how to attract new patients. Of course you think, “I’m such a talented pediatrician, why wouldn’t everyone want to come to my practice? I am a nice person who truly cares for my patients. I am an accomplished physician and a good diagnostician. How do I get this information to the public?” Unfortunately, standing in the town square and proclaiming your greatness just won’t cut it. There are other things, however, that can help. First, continuing education is crucial. This could include attending conferences, reading journals and giving lectures. When I attend a conference, if I have not learned something new, but have simply reaffirmed that my knowledge in a subject is current, I am happy. When a doctor (internist, surgeon, etc.) has referred a family to my practice, I call and say thank you. If a newborn in the hospital is transferred to the NICU, it is considerate to call the obstetrician to inform him or her of the baby’s status. This way, when seeing the mother the next day, the obstetrician is prepared for an anxious mother. Hopefully the obstetrician will remember your phone call and will continue to refer patients to your practice. Getting to know the other doctors at your hospital is not that hard to do. If you serve on hospital committees, you will interact with doctors outside of pediatrics. Get involved locally. Serve on committees in your synagogue, church or mosque. Be involved with charitable organizations by offering your time and expertise to children and their families. Speak at civic meetings. If you have a local Y, get involved with the Teen Hotline or the early childhood committees. Writing a health column in your local newspaper also gives you exposure in your community. At your child’s school you can offer to talk in the kids’ classes and/or volunteer to lead a discussion for the PTA. Advertise! Years ago, this was taboo. If a doctor placed an ad in the newspaper, he or she would have been considered a charlatan. Advertising your practice in the media is no longer poorly regarded. If we were ophthalmologists or surgeons with a new procedure to promote, we could afford to advertise on television or radio. Alas, we are merely poor pediatricians who can barely afford to display ads in local newspapers. Even ads in local papers can cost $1,000 to run in four issues. Use your money wisely; place an ad if you have a new doctor join your group, or if you have expanded your office hours. Be wary of realtors or welcome wagon groups that allow you to be part of the booklets that they distribute to new people in town. It might sound great to have access to new families, but is it worth what they charge for the privilege of being in their booklets? Some might argue, however, that adding only one new family to your practice would cover the cost, and additional families would be gravy! The same philosophy holds true for the phone book’s yellow pages. Publishing your name in bold letters, or even having your name boxed might be worth the additional cost. It always amazed me when people picked my name from the yellow pages to be their pediatrician, despite knowing nothing about me; maybe they simply decided to use the first Richard that was listed. Personally, what I just described didn’t work for me, but I do know others for whom it was beneficial. With managed care, much has changed. The first place a new family will go to search for a new pediatrician is in their insurance company’s physician directory. When I need to send a patient to a specialist, families no longer ask me who is the best doctor; rather, they ask if the doctor is part of their plan. You might truly be the best pediatrician around, but if you don’t participate in their plan, they don’t care. Be a good person, be a knowledgeable doctor, and give your patients the respect that you would want from them; your patients will then be happy to give your name to others. |
