Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/571000
31 Executive Briefing: lacks credibility for the healthcare consumer. Practices need to show that they provide the ideal caring, empathetic patient experience healthcare con- sumers are seeking. It's a healthcare consumer world. If a prospective patient doesn't feel cared for at every touch point, they will go somewhere else. Patient loyalty is earned, not granted, and a practice's reputation is established well before a patient enters a facility. 5. Surgical Practices Have Become Acquisition Targets Since the first Ambulatory Sur- gery Center (ASC) opened in 1970, physicians have continued to drive the development of surgical practices and specialty clinics. Ninety percent of ASCs, for example, continue to be owned in some part by physicians, but mergers and acquisitions are trending. Hospitals currently have ownership in- terest in 23% of ASCs and wholly own 2% of them. Acquisitions and mergers are often necessary to gain econo- mies of scale to achieve and maintain profitability. Many small and mid-sized surgical practices and specialty clinics want to maintain full independence and not be acquired by a larger practice. But they are vulnerable to accepting a buy-out just to gain the infrastructure they need to stay afloat. For practices that are looking to be acquired, there's a different prob- lem. Not having an attractive patient volume and patient acquisition strate- gy in place weakens their negotiating position. Specialty clinics that partner with ASCs or hospitals have an add- ed challenge. It's harder for them to maintain a unique identity and value proposition to patients that is distinct from the partner facilities. Again, there's a need to focus and control the messaging to patients to convey a unique value proposition. Necessity Is the Mother of New Solutions So how does practice manage- ment navigate a new web world of pay per clicks, search engine opti- mization, landing page refinement, educational content, production and placement to increase site visits and conversion rates, while ensuring mobile compatibility? More than 900 different web marketing factors come together in different combinations to convert a healthcare consumer to a patient at a single facility. One solution is to bring market- ing expertise in-house. This can cost millions of dollars in infrastructure for end-to-end staffing and technology, from call center operations to robust analytics. Another solution is to hire an outside marketing agency, which can cost as much or more in retainer fees. A more cost-effective solution is to work with a patient acquisition network such as Back Pain Centers of America (BPCA). This solution pro- vides practices with access to needed expertise and infrastructure, while spreading the costs across many prac- tices through economies of scale. One Thing Hasn't Changed…Put- ting Patients First In today's highly competitive health care environment, it can be easy to push for patients' attention by leaning too much on a practice's accomplishments and accolades. Patients still want an empathetic voice answering every call and a physician who looks them in the eye during an appointment. There's simply nothing more important than understanding the patient—who they are and what's most important to them through- out every touch point. Learning and implementing best practices in the patient experience journey can make all the difference in active word-of- mouth growth, which is the best form of marketing, and it's free. In a consumer study conducted by Rosenthal Schoor in 2012, patients listed the most important criteria to them in selecting a surgical practice or specialty clinic: • Appropriate accredited surgical specialty • Third party validation of the surgeon or practice via patient testimonials, word-of-mouth or published educational content • The surgeon's reputation and credentials • A human being who answers the phone and is polite and courteous • Respectful treatment and personal attention • Convenient location • Timely scheduling • Clear communication before, during and after surgery • Full disclosure and clear commu- nication up front of fee informa- tion • A clearly articulated message that builds credibility and trust before the doctor-patient relationship is established • Being made to feel like a person and not like a case These are the key points of how a consumer makes a healthcare de- cision. It feeds directly into the one measure that matters: would a patient feel comfortable trusting the practice with their own surgery or that of a friend or a loved one? Many practices address most or all of these areas internally. Where the conversation often stops is in consid- ering how to communicate with pa- tients and educate them before they come in the door. The establishment of the patient-doctor relationship be- gins earlier than the clinic visit. Joining the right patient acquisi- tion network can help build a prac- tice's qualified patient candidate vol- ume with a solid return on investment, while allowing the practice to maintain independence. n Where Patients Are Looking for Spine Care Sponsored by: Back Pain Centers of America (BPCA) is the nation's largest network that connects patients seeking surgical consultations for neck and back pain to highly qualified, orthopedic practices and surgery centers. To date, BPCA has helped more than 20,000 people find relief. Because patient experience and safety are top priority, BPCA only accepts board-certified physicians who meet certain criteria such as having available surgical capacity. BPCA is currently taking new applications from orthopedic practices in specific states and cities. Visit BackPainCentersOfAmerica.com.