1. Make sure your office is easily accessible. When primary care physicians make referrals, they should be able to easily schedule an appointment. “The primary care physicians want to call the office and have one person pick up and say, ‘Yes, we can get someone in,'” says Dr. Althausen. “They want to talk to a real person from the start.” If the main phone number is often busy or directs through an automated system, give the primary care physician a separate number to call. “You can really fast track referrals by giving them a separate number,” he says.
2. Host educational lunches for primary care physicians. One way to coordinate a face-to-face meeting with several primary care physicians in your area is to host an educational luncheon. Have each orthopedic surgeon give a presentation about their subspecialty, such as going over MRI for shoulder surgery or when to get epidural instead of recommending surgery for back problems. The lunch also fosters an environment where the physicians can get to know each other. “The surgeon is able to shake hands with the primary care physician and their staff,” says Dr. Althausen. Bring the practice office manager to the lunches to ensure your practice will be easily accessible for the primary care physicians.
3. Hold yearly CME meetings for primary care physicians. Coordinate an annual week-long meeting where primary care physicians can take CME courses free of charge. Have someone from the industry sponsor the meeting to cover the costs. Since the meeting is educational, it doesn’t violate anti-kickback legislation. The physician presenters appreciate the opportunity to have an audience of their peers and to spread their reputation as a fellowship-trained specialist, says Dr. Althausen. You can also hold best business practices seminars in addition to the clinical medicine courses. “You can give money-saving tips to the primary care physicians, which they really appreciate,” he says. In addition to the primary care physicians, also invite physician’s assistants and nurse practitioners, who may also be potential referring sources.
4. Market to the local hospital systems. In many communities, healthcare systems and hospitals employ primary care physicians, and if you want access to them, you must have a good relationship with the hospital. You can market your expertise to hospital administrators through statistics that show you have good outcomes and few complications. You can also present patient outcome reviews to accomplish this goal, says Dr. Althausen.
Learn more about Dr. Peter Althausen.
Read other coverage on increasing orthopedic practice patient volume:
– 5 Ways to Enhance Orthopedic Practice Patient Volume
– 5 Techniques for Increasing Patient Volume at Your Sports Medicine Practice
– 4 Tips for Creating an Extraordinary Patient Experience to Increase Referrals and Profitability
