Marketing Tips

[Pacman27]

Anybody have any suggestions on good marketing ideas?
I have been going to PCP's office and on occasion I am able to get in front of a doc or office manager and I always bring something with some of my cards. Not sure if thats paying off yet or not.

Any other ideas

What other specialties to you see as a good referral source, outside of the Spine Sx's, neurologists, rheum (maybe)

Thanks

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[emd123]

Make up pre-printed referral pads and send it or give it to docs. This makes the referral process easy. It's also a reminder that you are there. A lot of referring happens just because one doc makes it easier to get patients into than another group does.

 

[lord_jeebus]

I call the doctors' offices in advance and say that I'm a new pain doctor in town, that I'm looking to introduce myself to the other physicians in the area, would the Dr. have time before clinic or at lunchtime for me to come in? It's never failed. When I meet them they always say "I'll send you some patients." I follow up with a short hand-written note thanking them for their time a week or two later, emphasizing my strengths over the area competition. Sometimes I start getting referrals. Sometimes I don't.

I get 1-3 patients per week from my website. It's pretty basic but I added a little blog (Google loves blogs) where I talk about different procedures or find other excuses to use phrases like "back pain" a lot. I'm the #1 search result for pretty much everything pain-related when the name of my town or neighboring towns is included: "Jeebusville back pain doctor" etc.

Another thing that's helped is the local newspaper. I have an ad but it has been low yield. However, they have a "new business feature" that highlights a new local small business each week, and I was able to get featured in that. I also got an op-ed published regarding Medicare cuts. Each of those generated about 10 high-quality self-referrals. They've offered to publish more medical op-eds from me in the future.

Have you read Neil Baum's Marketing Your Clinical Practice? I think it's pretty good. Pays for itself with one referral.

emd123, I like the pre-printed referral pad idea a lot. What options do you put on your pad beyond "Evaluate and Treat"?

 

[Tenesma]

market yourself to the PCPs - that is much better than marketing to neurosurg/ortho/spine --- because before you know it the neurosurg will hire his own pain dr/block jock...

if you corner the PCP market then the surgs will depend on you, instead of the other way around....

 

[emd123]

I call the doctors' offices in advance and say that I'm a new pain doctor in town, that I'm looking to introduce myself to the other physicians in the area, would the Dr. have time before clinic or at lunchtime for me to come in? It's never failed. When I meet them they always say "I'll send you some patients." I follow up with a short hand-written note thanking them for their time a week or two later, emphasizing my strengths over the area competition. Sometimes I start getting referrals. Sometimes I don't.

I get 1-3 patients per week from my website. It's pretty basic but I added a little blog (Google loves blogs) where I talk about different procedures or find other excuses to use phrases like "back pain" a lot. I'm the #1 search result for pretty much everything pain-related when the name of my town or neighboring towns is included: "Jeebusville back pain doctor" etc.

Another thing that's helped is the local newspaper. I have an ad but it has been low yield. However, they have a "new business feature" that highlights a new local small business each week, and I was able to get featured in that. I also got an op-ed published regarding Medicare cuts. Each of those generated about 10 high-quality self-referrals. They've offered to publish more medical op-eds from me in the future.

Have you read Neil Baum's Marketing Your Clinical Practice? I think it's pretty good. Pays for itself with one referral.

emd123, I like the pre-printed referral pad idea a lot. What options do you put on your pad beyond "Evaluate and Treat"?

I leave a spot for insurance info or a check box "or attach copy of insurance card"

Have check boxes for neck pain, back pain, joint pain, "other"

"Procedure if known" with a list of some common procedures. And "eval and treat " check box.

Most just check "neck" or back pain and "eval and treat"

Some of the surgeons will pick a procedure

Leave a box that says "insurance authorization done" or "not done"

Most importantly it has my secretaries name and "fax to 555-333-9999"

If you only have two things on the referral pad make it the fax # and "please attach insurance/demographic sheet". Keep it simple and easy.

 

[Pacman27]

Thanks
I made the referral pad, but some offices did not want them. But I am going to go back to them. At least, it forces that office to keep something my name on it.

 

[lobelsteve]

I just email the pdf to the referral coordinator. She can print or fill it out on computer and fax or email it back.

 

[Ducttape]

i dont know if this helps, but dont forget to be very courteous to the office staff. dont forget to include them in your lunches. so secretaries, MAs, nurses...

you'd be surprised how many PCPs will just say "go see pain management", and it is up to the office staff to figure out who to send the referral to.

 

[emd123]

i dont know if this helps, but dont forget to be very courteous to the office staff. dont forget to include them in your lunches. so secretaries, MAs, nurses...

you'd be surprised how many PCPs will just say "go see pain management", and it is up to the office staff to figure out who to send the referral to.

Absolutely true.

 

[powermd]

We have been doing ads through a 5 station radio network for the past 8 months or so. It's hard to tell how we're doing, but we keep getting busier. A buddy who does ophthalmology has a ton of experience with this and he says his best hits come from ads that offer a specific product. We're going to start pushing kyphoplasty, as we think we've had enough exposure to be a "trusted" voice on the radio now. We spend about $2500/mo on these ads. They give us 17 30 second spots per week peppered throughout the day.

We already have a large network of referring docs, but our goal is to go direct to consumer to pick up the ones who see docs that are part of the local hospital system (that has their own pain division).

 

[RickKane]

emd123, I like the pre-printed referral pad idea a lot. What options do you put on your pad beyond "Evaluate and Treat"?

..."Please continue the high dose opioids I have been giving this patient for several years without regard to patient safety or common sense."

I bet that box would get checked all the time.

 

[Ducttape]

We have been doing ads through a 5 station radio network for the past 8 months or so. It's hard to tell how we're doing, but we keep getting busier. A buddy who does ophthalmology has a ton of experience with this and he says his best hits come from ads that offer a specific product. We're going to start pushing kyphoplasty, as we think we've had enough exposure to be a "trusted" voice on the radio now. We spend about $2500/mo on these ads. They give us 17 30 second spots per week peppered throughout the day.

We already have a large network of referring docs, but our goal is to go direct to consumer to pick up the ones who see docs that are part of the local hospital system (that has their own pain division).

these arent "out of network" patients, are they?

 

[Apollyon]

We have been doing ads through a 5 station radio network for the past 8 months or so. It's hard to tell how we're doing, but we keep getting busier. A buddy who does ophthalmology has a ton of experience with this and he says his best hits come from ads that offer a specific product. We're going to start pushing kyphoplasty, as we think we've had enough exposure to be a "trusted" voice on the radio now. We spend about $2500/mo on these ads. They give us 17 30 second spots per week peppered throughout the day.

We already have a large network of referring docs, but our goal is to go direct to consumer to pick up the ones who see docs that are part of the local hospital system (that has their own pain division).

The radio ads that are really dug in here are from personal injury shysters - one of them is "888-8888" and the other is "444-4444". The second guy has a jingle that goes, "Hurt in a car? Call Willam Mattar!", but, last season (haven't heard it this season) had "Hurt in a sleigh? Call us today!" The only doc radio ads were a 2-off spot for a plastic surgeon starting up a practice, and another who does laser venous stripping - his ads are plastered all over the radio.

 

[powermd]

these arent "out of network" patients, are they?

No. We don't play that game, if that's what you mean.

 

[Aether2000]

How about a bobble head of the pain doc that can be put in the back of a car window. Or partner with McDonalds to create a set of toys....one with a needle that can be stuck into the spine and removed and another with a panel on the front of the abdomen that opens to show all the drugs inside. Or perhaps a movie where the pain doc remarks after doing an injection, "Take up your bed and walk"...showing the happy patient doing so...(too religious?).... Anyway, lots of options!!!

 

[deleted185747]

Just leave a crumb trail of oxycodone 30mg tabs out the front door....... your favorite customers will find you