You’re a specialist, so your healthcare practice does best when general practitioners, primary care physicians (PCPs), and doctors refer their patients to you for further diagnosis and treatment of specific health conditions. If it’s physician referrals your healthcare practice is looking for, you’ll need to build relationships with other doctors in and around your area.
That can be a time-consuming effort, but one worth undertaking to ensure the success of your practice. After all, the more patients who are guided to your practice based on the referral of their primary physician, the more profitable and sustainable your practice will become.
There are numerous ways to create new physician relationships while, at the same time, strengthening the professional relationships you have already established. Let’s talk about some of the Best Practices toward achieving that goal.
How Can I Get Other Doctors to Refer Patients to Me?
The first step is to make the referral process as simple as possible for other doctors. It’s best to first survey your potential and existing referring physicians to find out what works best for them.
This could mean adding a method of referral (besides faxing or a phone call) or designating a staff member to provide priority service to referring physicians. By seeking the other doctors’ advice and preference, you’re showing that you not only value their input, but also want to make the process hassle-free.
Next, organize and prioritize your scheduling system so that your practice is as flexible and accommodating as possible when it comes to treating referred patients to avoid delays in care. Your referring physicians will take note of your prompt service and will be more likely to refer other patients to you in the future.
Communicating with Referring Physicians
Communication is another critical factor in building lasting relationships with other doctors. Always confirm to them that a referral was received, an appointment has been set, and whether the referred patient kept the appointment. The last thing you want a referring physician to discover is that an examination never took place and your office didn’t bother to notify them about it.
The referring physician needs to know that your medical practice is competent and reliable. By sharing patient information promptly and communicating efficiently with the referring physician, you will build trust – which is one of the foundations of a lasting relationship.
Be Sure to Follow Up
Following up is an essential part of building a solid, lasting professional relationship. You must have a professional dedication to building and nurturing those relationships. A welcome/introduction package with a handwritten thank-you note following the first referral is standard practice,
Nurturing Your Professional Medical Relationships
Helping you establish and maintain a physician referral network is what Doctor Referral Institute is all about. Our medical team has many years of experience in all facets of the healthcare industry, and we are equipped to drive a steady stream of referrals to your specific practice.
Our premier doctor referral services include growing your patient base from new referral sources while optimizing existing relationships. We work to improve referral solutions for all health-related organizations. If you receive a referral you can be a client of Doctor Referral Institute. Our systems are customized to all kinds of different providers all designed to help increase your revenues and enable your practice to grow.
To learn more about these services and how they can be tailored to your practice’s explicit needs, contact Doctor Referral Institute today by calling us at (888) 703-9167 or fill out our online form to request a free evaluation. We look forward to partnering with you to help your practice soar!