1. 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.
2. Send cards to referring physicians updating them on their patients. When a general practitioner or other physician refers their patient to you, keep them updated on the status of the patient, says David Shrier, CEO of HCPlexus, a company that maintains the “Little Blue Book” referral database for physicians. The referring physicians appreciate knowing how their patients are responding to treatment and following up with their medical conditions. “Communicating about the patients helps the referring physicians feel good about the referral they just made,” says Mr. Shrier. Keeping these lines of communication open with referring physicians strengthens your relationship with them and will encourage future referrals. You can also send “Thank You” letters to the referring physicians. “People don’t get enough personal notes any more,” he says. “This is going to help the referring physician feel like his or her patient is being taken care of.” Include the practice name on the letter and address it directly to the referring physician to personalize the message.
3. Hold an open house for referring physicians. Holding an open house for referring physicians in your area brings them into your practice and allows you time to bond, says Shannon Doyle, an MGMA consultant based outside of Denver. Recently expanded to two events a year, its only cost is catering and liquor for about 120 attendees. Representatives from device makers demonstrate models of their products for free. Staff set up and tear down furnishings and do most of the serving, which gives them an opportunity to discuss the practice. Mr. Doyle likes this approach. “Any time you can bring your referring physicians together is a great opportunity,” he says.
4. Educate referring physicians on new technologies or procedures. If you become trained on a new procedure or technology, such as endoscopic spine surgery or computer-assisted knee replacements, contact your referring physicians and educate them about the technology. The referring physicians will feel more comfortable sending patients your way if they understand exactly how the new technology will benefit their patients, says Mr. Shrier.
Related Articles to Orthopedic Practices:
5 Things to Know About Online Orthopedic Practice Promotion
5 Essential Features for Orthopedic Practice Websites
5 Ways to Make Good Orthopedic Practices Great
