CareerMedicine.com » Business of Medicine

WHY SHOULD PHYSICIANS HAVE A WEBSITE? AND HOW TO GET ONE !

admin — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 06:10:12 +0000

Technology is changing all around us. So is the way of doing business. More and more people are using internet to find what they want to find or shop. Patients used to search for doctors in the yellow book. That is all changing very fast. Now patients are using google and other search engines to find doctors. Many a times they end up on sites like healthgrades from google. They are able to review your credentials, what insurance you accept etc. Once they chose a doctor, they go to that physician’s website and evaluate him or her further. So if you or your medical practice does not have a website – you need to get it now.

Website names (also called domain names) are running out! More than 80 million websites have been registered so far per ICANN. Do you realize that there are no single word website names left in most languages including English. People who invest in website names (also called Domain Name Investors) have taken them all. In fact to get a two word website name is also very hard.

But what can a website do for a doctor? Ever heard of HillaryClinton.com or BarrackObama.com? A website in your name can make it easy for your patients to follow you on the web. Many a times they will enter your name in the browser and see if they could get some information about you. Now if your competitor registers a website in your name before you could, he can lead your potential patients to his website. And worst of all, you won’t even know.

It is vitally important for you to at least register your name as a website name or domain name. e.g. RobertSmith.com or RobertSmithMD.com. If you know what you will name your medical practice in the future, then you should register that website name too.

Here are some FAQs for registering a website.

But I am in the medical school why should I register now? Can I do that later? Registering website names or domain names is very cheap to do. If you wait too long, someone else may register your name as a domain name. Then you will have to buy it from those domain investors or you will have to settle for something different.

But isn’t registering Domain names a highly technical stuff?

No. In fact it is as simple as typing the name and click submit. Follow the instructions to a credit card payment and you can get your own website name (domain name) at www.HelloDello.com where CareerMedicine.com is registered.

But how do I make a website on my domain name?

The easiest way to make a website is to use a website template. It is a readymade website design. All you have to do is type in the content just like you do in Microsoft word. I register website or domain names at www.HelloDello.com because they give access to a website builder for free. Some of the registrars charge for that kind of stuff. That way I do not have to spend more cash to design the website or keep it running.

What can I do on my website?

You can write a blog on your website, share pictures, and advertise your services etc on your website. The possibilities are endless.

How do I register domain names?

You can go to easy to use website such as www.HelloDello.com. Then type in the desired website name. Press search button. It will tell you if it is available or not. If it is then you may want to register it right then and there, to prevent any other person from registering it.

Summary:

Advantages of Domain name registration (or registering website names)

Creates your identity on the web.

Easy for patients to find you.

Easy for you to find patients.

Once registered by you, no one can snatch your website name from you.

In the future, you may be able to sell your website name just like real estate. But not all website names sell for millions, most of them sell for few hundreds to thousands dollars only.

It is cheap to do so. HelloDello.com charges only $9.99/ year to register most website name.

Disadvantages of not registering a name as soon as possible:

Someone else may register it and you will never get a chance at it.

You will miss out on a lot of business because of not having a web presence.

To register a website:

Go to www.HelloDello.com

Type in your desired website name in the search bar.

If the domain name is available to register, grab the domain name right away.

If not available, try a different variation to see if that is available – such as RobertJones.com, RobertJonesMD.com, RJones.com and so on.

Also consider registering different extensions of the website name such as .com .net .org etc.

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Inter-Physician Marketing- Tips and Techniques

admin — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:30:20 +0000

If you are a Primary Care physician, then Inter-Physician Marketing can boost the growth of your medical practice. If you are a specialist, inter-physician marketing is a must for you. Whether you are employed physician or you own your medical practice, inter-physician marketing is something you will always need to do.

As discussed before in the last article, inter-physician marketing is the subtle marketing that goes on between physicians to promote themselves and get more referrals. You can be the best doctor in the world, but if no one knows you, no one sends any patients to you, then what good it is to be the best.

Here at CareerMedicine.com, I will list everything that I have observed and learnt over the years about inter-physician marketing. You can use the following tips and techniques, in any order or sequence and see it work wonders.

BASIC INTER-PHYSICIAN MARKETING TECHNIQUES:

These are something you should always remember to do. Its simple, its subtle and it works !

1) SMILE and say Hello to each other: All physicians are very busy. They are overworked and under pressure. What a refreshment it is to see a smiling physician colleague once in a while. Life is short, it will end soon, whether you run down the hallway looking at the floor or you run down the hallway smiling. There is nothing wrong in saying hello to your competition either. After all they are colleagues too. If they discontinue an insurance plan, they will be more than happy to send those patients your way.

2) Hang out in the Doctor’s Lounge: At least once or twice a week go to the lunch at the doctors lounge. OR breakfast, if you prefer. You will meet a lot of colleagues and everyone is informal while eating.

3) Keep your business cards handy: Pass your business card whenever you meet someone new. Especially if you have complicated name Keep some always in the pocket.

4) Be courteous to the staff: You have no idea how many patients ask the hospital or clinic staff for recommendations regarding a doctor. If the staff likes you, they will recommend you.

5) Be available: Whenever you get consulted, give prompt service. It may mean you have to get up in the night and see a patient. But that is something you should be doing anyways.

6) Communicate: Call the referring physician or send a letter once you have seen his or her patient. Always sound cheerful to see the patient.

ADVANCED INTER-PHYSICIAN MARKETING TECHNIQUES

These tips include the ones in which the physicians have to put themselves out in the field. If you are shy in nature then start with those strategies which you feel more comfortable with. Then once you are in it – take it to the next level

1) SEND OUT A LETTER OF INTRODUCTION: Whenever you arrive in a new town, as an employed physician or starting your own medical practice, send a letter of introduction out. DO NOT make it long. No one reads a long letter. (There is a reason all posts in CareerMedicine are short.) Short and sweet introduction will suffice. Send it to every physician in the town.

2) GO OUT and MEET OTHER PHYSICIANS: Have your staff make appointments and then you can go and personally introduce yourself to other physicians. A face to a name solidifies branding. Suddenly you are not a figment of imagination, you are a person. When you meet them, explain to them that you are new in town, to start practicing medicine. And tell them your strengths. Most physicians will be happy to see you.

3) GET ON THE ER UNASSIGNED LIST: Always make sure you are on the ER unassigned list. That is a sure way of generating patients.

4) MEET THE ER DOCTORS: Do introduce yourself to ER physicians and let them know you are interested in providing prompt care to the patients. ER Physicians like prompt medical care for their patients. It helps them clear the ER faster.

So try these tips and see what happens.

10 important tips for medical doctors who pursue entrepreneurial endeavors

admin — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 06:53:55 +0000

The following list of great tips are sent to me by Rock. This is what they teach in the MBAs and MHAs. Rock is a Master of Health Administration student. I am publishing it verbatim (well almost verbatim!)

To: ACE MEDICAL
From: Rock P.

1) Develop a strategic advantage: Be sure to differentiate yourself from the competitors. Find a niche and implement it as fast as you can. For example, patient satisfaction is our number one goal and a mission of ACE.

2) Create a competitive advantage: Develop patient intimacy by understanding the needs of patients. Personally, I can tell you that you both already are understanding people as doctors. However, this idea can be thought of as what Carl Rogers said to be “Unconditional Positive Regard” in his theory. Which is having the innate ability to put yourself in the shoes of the patient; trying to realize or visualize how the patient sees their medical condition since they live with it. They rely on the medical doctor to help guide them to better health.

3) Know your patients: Survey patients monthly. Patients like to asked their opinions, and it makes them feel more involved needed. As you know, needs change, patients come and go. Not only does this advantage of surveying help maintain patient loyalty, it also gives you numbers a measurement tool to develop or change ideas or implements to better grow in the future.

4) Market your medical practice heavily: Even if you do not attract patients, you will increase payors and increase revenue, reduce competition, and establish a nice brand.

5) Perform business analysis at regular intervals: Financial budgeting and accounting is so crucial to your success. Study and understand your main and secondary money makers or revenue. What do you make most money on (ancillary services, such as Echo and various ultrasounds) and capitalize on what you make more revenue on. You want to understand your office expense and develop methods to control unnecessary costs.

6) Base your business decisions on quantitative facts not just qualitative assessments. In other words, before you bring in other medical doctors, look closely at alternatives that may bring you as much money at a lesser cost (Nurse Practitioner or a physician assistant) or maybe more medical office assistants to nurses or more LPN’s to RN’s. The idea here is to mix your resources to maximize your profit and still maintain good quality.

7) Use activity base costing: By looking at budget and expenses, a physician can determine the best ways to reallocate the resources. Remember numbers never lie, and are great indicators or windows of opportunity for change. Change is always good when it benefits the medical practice.

Design your practice around your strategic vision: How big do you want to grow? How do you see yourself in 5 years from now? Do I have the right people on board to achieve these goals? Basically design your practice around your mission, vision, and values that you instill into the culture of ACE MEDICAL.

9) Establish a teamwork approach into your culture: Demonstrate leadership and set good examples for your workers to inspire them. Remember patients help generate revenue, and so do employees that work for you. Keep them happy and they will work harder than you can imagine. The best example I can give here is as medical doctors people respect you highly, both in the community and in your work environment, so anything you say can affect people around you. You are a specialty and everyone knows it. If I were in your shoes, I would make it a point to go out of my way to let someone know how good a job they are doing, maybe a pat on the back. You will be surprised at how much that means to people. Sometimes when you cannot afford to give raises, other incentives like a pat on the back works just as good.

10) Manage Change: Practice change management! Lead your workers/team to embrace changes. When you continually assess your company, you will see that changes are necessary to stay competitive in your environment.

I hope this helps. There are so many more things involved in maintaining and being successful at running a business. I have noticed that ACE MEDICAL has a great reputation in town and as you continue to grow, you will be the best primary care facility in the area.

Rock P.