Wednesday, October 30, 2019
The Executive Suite: 7 Ways to Use Age to Your Advantage When Starting ...
The Executive Suite: 7 Ways to Use Age to Your Advantage When Starting ...: Entrepreneurship isn’t just for the young. Older adults are finding that starting a business can be the perfect way to turn a lifetime of ex...
How Small Businesses Can Support One Another to Succeed
Where do you buy products and services for your business (and yourself)? When you need to purchase insurance, buy printer paper, or get someone to help you revamp your website, do you go online and look for the cheapest price you can find? Or do you spend a little extra time to shop at small businesses that sell what you’re looking for?
A couple years back, I read an article about an African-American couple who decided that for the next 12 months, they would only buy products or services from businesses that were African-American owned.
It made me think about how often, as a small business owner, I buy products or services without even considering whether they come from a small business. I’m willing to bet you rarely think about that, either. (No fair pointing out that Amazon and Walmart started as small businesses.)
Supporting small, independent local companies has gotten more difficult due to:
Increased competition. There’s more competition than ever from bigger chains, both online and off. It’s difficult for many small brick-and-mortar businesses to battle the giants, and some entrepreneurs have been driven out of business.
Price consciousness. As small business owners, we all need to watch our budgets to maintain our profit margins. I have to admit that I often make purchases based on cost savings.
However, shopping with small businesses has also become easier in a couple of important ways:
Ease of e-commerce. If no small businesses in your neighborhood sell the widget you need, go online and you can probably get it from a small company across the country or across the globe.
Greater transparency. Transparency has become a must in the business world. That means it’s a lot easier than it used to be to discover exactly where your money goes when you buy from a business.
If you are determined to shop at small businesses, here are some easy ways to do so:
Working with people you know can benefit your business in many ways. My company recently started working with a local entrepreneur who designs and runs websites. The relationship began when he redesigned our website. Now he refers my company to his clients who need content creation, and I refer him to my clients who need website design or search engine optimization services.
As an entrepreneur, you know how much small business owners contribute to the U.S. economy. If you think entrepreneurs deserve support, why not put your money where your mouth is? Whenever you can buy from a small business instead of a big company, make it a practice to do so. When you can’t find a small business to buy from, look for a franchise—most of them are operated by individual business owners.
Sure, it may cost a bit more to purchase from a small business than a big one, but you could build lasting relationships that are mutually beneficial. And you’ll have the satisfaction of supporting entrepreneurs just like you—who could turn out to be the next big thing.
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A couple years back, I read an article about an African-American couple who decided that for the next 12 months, they would only buy products or services from businesses that were African-American owned.
It made me think about how often, as a small business owner, I buy products or services without even considering whether they come from a small business. I’m willing to bet you rarely think about that, either. (No fair pointing out that Amazon and Walmart started as small businesses.)
Why you may not shop at small businesses
Supporting small, independent local companies has gotten more difficult due to:
Increased competition. There’s more competition than ever from bigger chains, both online and off. It’s difficult for many small brick-and-mortar businesses to battle the giants, and some entrepreneurs have been driven out of business.
Price consciousness. As small business owners, we all need to watch our budgets to maintain our profit margins. I have to admit that I often make purchases based on cost savings.
However, shopping with small businesses has also become easier in a couple of important ways:
Ease of e-commerce. If no small businesses in your neighborhood sell the widget you need, go online and you can probably get it from a small company across the country or across the globe.
Greater transparency. Transparency has become a must in the business world. That means it’s a lot easier than it used to be to discover exactly where your money goes when you buy from a business.
Where to find small businesses to buy from
If you are determined to shop at small businesses, here are some easy ways to do so:
- Start online. If you want to support a particular kind of small business, start by looking online for directories. For instance, if you want to buy from women-owned businesses, Hispanic-owned businesses, or LGBTQIA businesses, you can find directories devoted to these types of business owners.
- Start local. Buying from businesses in your city benefits your community in a lot of different ways. Your money goes back into the community, helping to pay employees’ wages and create jobs. Sales taxes from the purchases help to finance your community and make it a better place to live.
- Start with your connections. One of the easiest options is to buy from business owners you already know. For instance, if you belong to the local chamber of commerce or business networking association, make it a point to purchase from and work with other entrepreneurs in that network.
Working with people you know can benefit your business in many ways. My company recently started working with a local entrepreneur who designs and runs websites. The relationship began when he redesigned our website. Now he refers my company to his clients who need content creation, and I refer him to my clients who need website design or search engine optimization services.
Helping other entrepreneurs succeed
As an entrepreneur, you know how much small business owners contribute to the U.S. economy. If you think entrepreneurs deserve support, why not put your money where your mouth is? Whenever you can buy from a small business instead of a big company, make it a practice to do so. When you can’t find a small business to buy from, look for a franchise—most of them are operated by individual business owners.
Sure, it may cost a bit more to purchase from a small business than a big one, but you could build lasting relationships that are mutually beneficial. And you’ll have the satisfaction of supporting entrepreneurs just like you—who could turn out to be the next big thing.
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Tuesday, October 29, 2019
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Five Marketing Steps Your Medical Practice Should be Taking
Marketing is no longer an optional undertaking for physician practices, particularly independent ones. As competition increases and patients take a more active role in practice selection, your viability and growth will increasingly rely on strong marketing initiatives. Relying primarily on referrals from other providers and patients is a losing proposition.
The good news is that while marketing may seem like a daunting endeavor, particularly if you are already overburdened with responsibilities, there are some tried-and-true approaches that can significantly improve your ability to connect with prospective patients and quickly grow your patient base.
Here are the first steps all practices need to take:
1. Know your market: Initiate a marketing study to understand how patients, prospective patients, referrers, and prospective referrers view your practice. This market study—which should be conducted by a marketing firm with proven outcomes related to helping other, similar practices grow—should evaluate how aware patients and referrers are of your practice, and what type of reputation it has in the community. The firm should use a variety of approaches to glean this information and provide you with a thorough report, including a survey of individuals in your area that align with your target patient demographics, and interviews with referrers and potential referrers. The findings will help you better understand how the market sees you, and where you need to make improvements.
2. Find your unique voice: Conduct a competitor messaging analysis to determine how you can differentiate your practice. While the marketing study will help you understand how patients and referring physicians perceive your practice, this analysis will help you understand how you want them to perceive your practice. Start by creating a list of each of your competitors, and then consider how they present themselves to the community. Review their website language, collateral, and other materials. For example, do they focus on high quality care? A personalized experience? More advanced treatments? Then, consider what your practice could say and do instead—or better—that would lead patients and referrers to select your practice over others. Also, modify the language used on your website to ensure it comes across as credible, genuine, and consistent. Patients are inundated with persuasive messages, and they will quickly move on to the next practice if your language and tone fail to resonate.
3. Make strong first impressions: Audit your website. Now that you know how to differentiate your practice, it’s time to get the word out there. Start by reviewing your medial practice website. This is the first place many prospective patients will go to find out more about you. Key questions to ask include:
· Is it clear what your unique value is? Does it clearly describe the kind of care you provide? The conditions you treat? Your approach to care?
· Is it easy for patients to navigate and find the information they need?
· Do you have patient testimonials prominently displayed?
· Do you have physician headshots and bios, and if so, do the physicians appear personable and relatable?
· Is it clear what insurances you accept and, if applicable, what healthcare systems you are affiliated with?
Answer these questions and modify as necessary. If you have the resources, invest in professional video services and/or website development services to upgrade your image and visual branding.
4. Make it easy to be found: Create an SEO optimization and social media plan. This is another area in which professional help is highly valuable. An SEO expert with experience in practice marketing can help tweak your website language so that it is more likely to appear in searches conducted by prospective patients and referrers. Also, up your social media presence, particularly on Facebook, and consider investing in Facebook advertising. The right expert can help you create ads that reflect your value proposition and which are sent out to your target audience. Finally, monitor review websites and appropriately respond to reviews as you receive them.
5. Be a known expert: Connect with local journalists. Serving as a media expert will enhance your credibility and increase patient demand. If someone in your practice conducts a groundbreaking procedure or if you have a unique patient story to share (and if you have the patient’s permission), give your local paper or TV news station a call to see if they might be interested in running a story about it. Publications are always looking for inspiring health stories, and for experts who can help explain trending health topics. We recently helped a practice secure coverage from People, CNN, and a local ABC affiliate. Even if you don’t achieve media recognition, post a couple of paragraphs about the story on your website and link to it in a Facebook post.
Most practices haven’t yet embarked on these critical five steps. This is your chance to get a head start and get ahead of the competition. Take advantage of it, and in a year or two, you’ll be glad you did.
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The good news is that while marketing may seem like a daunting endeavor, particularly if you are already overburdened with responsibilities, there are some tried-and-true approaches that can significantly improve your ability to connect with prospective patients and quickly grow your patient base.
Here are the first steps all practices need to take:
1. Know your market: Initiate a marketing study to understand how patients, prospective patients, referrers, and prospective referrers view your practice. This market study—which should be conducted by a marketing firm with proven outcomes related to helping other, similar practices grow—should evaluate how aware patients and referrers are of your practice, and what type of reputation it has in the community. The firm should use a variety of approaches to glean this information and provide you with a thorough report, including a survey of individuals in your area that align with your target patient demographics, and interviews with referrers and potential referrers. The findings will help you better understand how the market sees you, and where you need to make improvements.
2. Find your unique voice: Conduct a competitor messaging analysis to determine how you can differentiate your practice. While the marketing study will help you understand how patients and referring physicians perceive your practice, this analysis will help you understand how you want them to perceive your practice. Start by creating a list of each of your competitors, and then consider how they present themselves to the community. Review their website language, collateral, and other materials. For example, do they focus on high quality care? A personalized experience? More advanced treatments? Then, consider what your practice could say and do instead—or better—that would lead patients and referrers to select your practice over others. Also, modify the language used on your website to ensure it comes across as credible, genuine, and consistent. Patients are inundated with persuasive messages, and they will quickly move on to the next practice if your language and tone fail to resonate.
3. Make strong first impressions: Audit your website. Now that you know how to differentiate your practice, it’s time to get the word out there. Start by reviewing your medial practice website. This is the first place many prospective patients will go to find out more about you. Key questions to ask include:
· Is it clear what your unique value is? Does it clearly describe the kind of care you provide? The conditions you treat? Your approach to care?
· Is it easy for patients to navigate and find the information they need?
· Do you have patient testimonials prominently displayed?
· Do you have physician headshots and bios, and if so, do the physicians appear personable and relatable?
· Is it clear what insurances you accept and, if applicable, what healthcare systems you are affiliated with?
Answer these questions and modify as necessary. If you have the resources, invest in professional video services and/or website development services to upgrade your image and visual branding.
4. Make it easy to be found: Create an SEO optimization and social media plan. This is another area in which professional help is highly valuable. An SEO expert with experience in practice marketing can help tweak your website language so that it is more likely to appear in searches conducted by prospective patients and referrers. Also, up your social media presence, particularly on Facebook, and consider investing in Facebook advertising. The right expert can help you create ads that reflect your value proposition and which are sent out to your target audience. Finally, monitor review websites and appropriately respond to reviews as you receive them.
5. Be a known expert: Connect with local journalists. Serving as a media expert will enhance your credibility and increase patient demand. If someone in your practice conducts a groundbreaking procedure or if you have a unique patient story to share (and if you have the patient’s permission), give your local paper or TV news station a call to see if they might be interested in running a story about it. Publications are always looking for inspiring health stories, and for experts who can help explain trending health topics. We recently helped a practice secure coverage from People, CNN, and a local ABC affiliate. Even if you don’t achieve media recognition, post a couple of paragraphs about the story on your website and link to it in a Facebook post.
Most practices haven’t yet embarked on these critical five steps. This is your chance to get a head start and get ahead of the competition. Take advantage of it, and in a year or two, you’ll be glad you did.
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Thursday, October 24, 2019
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The Executive Suite: 4 ways to boost your medical practice’s profits in...
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The MIPS disappointment: Why physicians should consider alternatives
After just two years, it appears the jig is up for CMS and the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). MIPS is now expecting to pay out just 1.68% in bonus dollars next year to those doctors who achieved a perfect score. This is down from last year’s payout of 1.88%. It is no wonder doctors are disappointed!
Reporting takes precious time and resources. For the promise of a financial bonus, many physicians have put in all the extra effort that MIPS requires and then some. But after all that hard work, to cross the finish line with a perfect score and receive such a small reward makes it all seem pointless. “Pay per Value” versus “Fee for Service” sounds good in theory—but if you aren’t going to actually be paid for value, perhaps it’s time to consider new options.
Doctors work hard and they deserve to be paid for their efforts. While they may not be able to protect their practices from the pressure of value-based payment schemes like MIPS, they can look into other proven and predictable ways to support their practice and their patients.
Doctors who want to be reimbursed properly and in a timely way for the value, service and support they provide should look into the many styles of membership medicine available today. These programs are much different than the concierge medicine programs of the past, which mainly transformed the practices of primary care doctors in affluent neighborhoods. Today’s models support a wide variety of physicians including specialists and doctors who are part of large health systems. They vary in their scope and application, providing either a helping hand, a much needed crutch, or the backbone of a medical practice—depending on the doctor’s needs and goals. And the programs are compatible with Medicare, so there is no issue with MIPS or any value-based government program you may be working with.
The new crop of membership medicine models allow doctors to continue to treat all of their patients and accept Medicare and even commercial insurances, if they want to. The programs supplement the support and service the patients already receive with more time, connectivity and medical advocacy. The kind of services that aren’t reimbursable through insurance or Medicare, but mean a lot to the peace of mind of vulnerable patients.
Perhaps most importantly, unlike MIPS bonuses, results from membership medicine programs are fairly predictable. When physicians enlist the support of experienced professionals, their practice will be analyzed carefully and reviewed against data accumulated from years of practice transitions to project an accurate level of success. The doctor will know how many members to expect, where to set the membership fee, and which style program would result in the highest revenue or, for some doctors, the best balance between pace and revenue.
And, instead of working hard today to secure an unknown financial bonuses next year, physicians earn predictable new revenue in real time, doing what they love to do each day: caring for patients.
CMS appears to be sticking with MIPS, with penalties increasing next year and in the coming years for physicians who fail to meet their standards, and the promise of bonuses increasing for high-performing physicians. Bonuses actually decreased from their modest levels last year, so these increases do not seem promising. Unfortunately, there isn’t too much physicians can do regarding MIPS. Participation is mandatory and physician quality scores are public. But rather than just working hard, and waiting and hoping for the best, consider introducing a proven practice model to support your practice with the additional revenue MIPS can only promise.
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Reporting takes precious time and resources. For the promise of a financial bonus, many physicians have put in all the extra effort that MIPS requires and then some. But after all that hard work, to cross the finish line with a perfect score and receive such a small reward makes it all seem pointless. “Pay per Value” versus “Fee for Service” sounds good in theory—but if you aren’t going to actually be paid for value, perhaps it’s time to consider new options.
Doctors work hard and they deserve to be paid for their efforts. While they may not be able to protect their practices from the pressure of value-based payment schemes like MIPS, they can look into other proven and predictable ways to support their practice and their patients.
Doctors who want to be reimbursed properly and in a timely way for the value, service and support they provide should look into the many styles of membership medicine available today. These programs are much different than the concierge medicine programs of the past, which mainly transformed the practices of primary care doctors in affluent neighborhoods. Today’s models support a wide variety of physicians including specialists and doctors who are part of large health systems. They vary in their scope and application, providing either a helping hand, a much needed crutch, or the backbone of a medical practice—depending on the doctor’s needs and goals. And the programs are compatible with Medicare, so there is no issue with MIPS or any value-based government program you may be working with.
The new crop of membership medicine models allow doctors to continue to treat all of their patients and accept Medicare and even commercial insurances, if they want to. The programs supplement the support and service the patients already receive with more time, connectivity and medical advocacy. The kind of services that aren’t reimbursable through insurance or Medicare, but mean a lot to the peace of mind of vulnerable patients.
Perhaps most importantly, unlike MIPS bonuses, results from membership medicine programs are fairly predictable. When physicians enlist the support of experienced professionals, their practice will be analyzed carefully and reviewed against data accumulated from years of practice transitions to project an accurate level of success. The doctor will know how many members to expect, where to set the membership fee, and which style program would result in the highest revenue or, for some doctors, the best balance between pace and revenue.
And, instead of working hard today to secure an unknown financial bonuses next year, physicians earn predictable new revenue in real time, doing what they love to do each day: caring for patients.
CMS appears to be sticking with MIPS, with penalties increasing next year and in the coming years for physicians who fail to meet their standards, and the promise of bonuses increasing for high-performing physicians. Bonuses actually decreased from their modest levels last year, so these increases do not seem promising. Unfortunately, there isn’t too much physicians can do regarding MIPS. Participation is mandatory and physician quality scores are public. But rather than just working hard, and waiting and hoping for the best, consider introducing a proven practice model to support your practice with the additional revenue MIPS can only promise.
15% Off Medical Practice Supplies
VIEW ALL
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The Iowa Clinic’s Journey to Improving Patient Access
Online self-scheduling is a common offering in most industries—just think about hotels, flights, dinner reservations, and so on—but for healthcare, few providers have adopted this seemingly ubiquitous technology. There are a variety of reasons for this, but I’m not going to delve into those right here. Rather, we are going to take a look at how one of our customers approached this innovation and applied it to their organization to improve patient access.
The Iowa Clinic, like many other provider organizations, wanted a way to make its services more consumer friendly, while also improving access to care. It was imperative that the organization connect patients to providers in the most convenient and flexible way possible, not only for improving the patient experience, but for a competitive advantage among other local provider organizations.
An independent, physician-owned multi-specialty group with more than 250 providers and 170,000 unique patients, The Iowa Clinic decided the best way to accomplish these goals was with the use of online self-scheduling.
Before online self-scheduling, when a new or existing patient wanted to schedule an appointment at The Iowa Clinic, they had to call. This process was often inconvenient for patients—calls had to be made during office hours, and once connected, patients were on the phone for several minutes, often on hold, while call center agents combed through provider calendars to find the right appointment. The process was equally frustrating for call center agents, who were overwhelmed with the volume of routine scheduling calls each day—often handling hundreds in a single business day.
It was clear that a better way of scheduling was needed, but different leaders at The Iowa Clinic—specifically stakeholders in the IT, clinical operations, and marketing departments—had certain requirements for whatever solution was to be put in place.
Tasked with navigating the complex technical challenge of integrating the solution and managing it on an ongoing basis, the IT department wanted a solution built to last; one that could ‘play nice’ with other systems already in place. This meant finding a solution with a proven track record of integrating with electronic health record (EHR) and practice management (PM) systems.
Where IT wanted to ensure the solution functioned as required, clinical operations wanted to determine where and how deployment of online self-scheduling should be handled to best address the organization’s pain points—in particular, the way appointments were being scheduled. The solution had to offload appointment volume from the call center and offer the same calendar availability to patients that they would get if they called in.
Marketing, a team with a true pulse on the patient population in terms of wants, needs, and concerns, had to work hand-in-hand with both IT and clinical operations to ensure that the patient experience was top of mind every step of the way through implementation and that the final product was customized according to patient preferences.
The Iowa Clinic ultimately turned to MyHealthDirect, who’s online self-scheduling platform met all the leaders’ different demands.
The platform’s direct integration into The Iowa Clinic’s GE practice management system gives patients a real-time view of provider calendars, and offers the same appointment options that they would get from the call center. This was critical to The Iowa Clinic’s vision for how they wanted patient access to look for their organization.
To ensure that online bookings were as accurate as those booked through the call center, decision support questions are answered by the patients while scheduling to qualify the type of care a patient is seeking, while automated business rules take into account providers’ scheduling protocols, all helping to quickly guide the patient to the best provider and appointment time possible. By qualifying appointment bookings, every patient and provider has the opportunity to have the best experience possible.
Patients of The Iowa Clinic have adopted the use of self-scheduling in record time and have consistently reported high satisfaction with the tool. Since implementation, the appointment scheduling process has been completely transformed and the organization has experienced some powerful results.
After just eight months of use, 15 percent of all appointments are booked via online self-scheduling. That number is projected to keep increasing as patients continue to take advantage of this new method of access.
The availability of online self-scheduling has also offloaded 30 percent of the call center volume from the organization’s centralized call center. This has freed call center agents up to tend to patients that need a human touch while on the phone, while also creating better overall operational efficiency.
Improvements to the patient experience were expected, but The Iowa Clinic also experienced great success in terms of patient acquisition and retention. New patients are continually coming to The Iowa Clinic due to the convenience of online self-scheduling. At least eight new patient appointments are booked per provider per month.
Thanks in part to calendar reminders sent immediately after booking, the patient show rate for appointments scheduled online has consistently remained around 97 percent. Providers at The Iowa Clinic feel confident that when patients book online, they are well-qualified patients and they show up. This level of reliability has helped physicians and specialists across the organization maximize their capacity each day.
Online self-scheduling has also given The Iowa Clinic a clear competitive advantage over the rise of urgent care centers in the area. With same-day scheduling as an option, patients are able to book an appointment with their own primary care physician rather than wait at a local urgent care facility to see someone new. This has enabled The Iowa Clinic to meet urgent care needs with their existing clinics and locations rather than having to invest in additional capital-intensive urgent care centers.
The results of online self-scheduling speak for themselves, but it is important to note that these solutions can be even more effective with the input from and collaboration with different departments throughout a healthcare organization. When teams work together in unison, the impact is greater and the benefits to the organization are amplified.
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The Iowa Clinic, like many other provider organizations, wanted a way to make its services more consumer friendly, while also improving access to care. It was imperative that the organization connect patients to providers in the most convenient and flexible way possible, not only for improving the patient experience, but for a competitive advantage among other local provider organizations.
An independent, physician-owned multi-specialty group with more than 250 providers and 170,000 unique patients, The Iowa Clinic decided the best way to accomplish these goals was with the use of online self-scheduling.
Before online self-scheduling, when a new or existing patient wanted to schedule an appointment at The Iowa Clinic, they had to call. This process was often inconvenient for patients—calls had to be made during office hours, and once connected, patients were on the phone for several minutes, often on hold, while call center agents combed through provider calendars to find the right appointment. The process was equally frustrating for call center agents, who were overwhelmed with the volume of routine scheduling calls each day—often handling hundreds in a single business day.
It was clear that a better way of scheduling was needed, but different leaders at The Iowa Clinic—specifically stakeholders in the IT, clinical operations, and marketing departments—had certain requirements for whatever solution was to be put in place.
Tasked with navigating the complex technical challenge of integrating the solution and managing it on an ongoing basis, the IT department wanted a solution built to last; one that could ‘play nice’ with other systems already in place. This meant finding a solution with a proven track record of integrating with electronic health record (EHR) and practice management (PM) systems.
Where IT wanted to ensure the solution functioned as required, clinical operations wanted to determine where and how deployment of online self-scheduling should be handled to best address the organization’s pain points—in particular, the way appointments were being scheduled. The solution had to offload appointment volume from the call center and offer the same calendar availability to patients that they would get if they called in.
Marketing, a team with a true pulse on the patient population in terms of wants, needs, and concerns, had to work hand-in-hand with both IT and clinical operations to ensure that the patient experience was top of mind every step of the way through implementation and that the final product was customized according to patient preferences.
The Iowa Clinic ultimately turned to MyHealthDirect, who’s online self-scheduling platform met all the leaders’ different demands.
The platform’s direct integration into The Iowa Clinic’s GE practice management system gives patients a real-time view of provider calendars, and offers the same appointment options that they would get from the call center. This was critical to The Iowa Clinic’s vision for how they wanted patient access to look for their organization.
To ensure that online bookings were as accurate as those booked through the call center, decision support questions are answered by the patients while scheduling to qualify the type of care a patient is seeking, while automated business rules take into account providers’ scheduling protocols, all helping to quickly guide the patient to the best provider and appointment time possible. By qualifying appointment bookings, every patient and provider has the opportunity to have the best experience possible.
Patients of The Iowa Clinic have adopted the use of self-scheduling in record time and have consistently reported high satisfaction with the tool. Since implementation, the appointment scheduling process has been completely transformed and the organization has experienced some powerful results.
After just eight months of use, 15 percent of all appointments are booked via online self-scheduling. That number is projected to keep increasing as patients continue to take advantage of this new method of access.
The availability of online self-scheduling has also offloaded 30 percent of the call center volume from the organization’s centralized call center. This has freed call center agents up to tend to patients that need a human touch while on the phone, while also creating better overall operational efficiency.
Improvements to the patient experience were expected, but The Iowa Clinic also experienced great success in terms of patient acquisition and retention. New patients are continually coming to The Iowa Clinic due to the convenience of online self-scheduling. At least eight new patient appointments are booked per provider per month.
Thanks in part to calendar reminders sent immediately after booking, the patient show rate for appointments scheduled online has consistently remained around 97 percent. Providers at The Iowa Clinic feel confident that when patients book online, they are well-qualified patients and they show up. This level of reliability has helped physicians and specialists across the organization maximize their capacity each day.
Online self-scheduling has also given The Iowa Clinic a clear competitive advantage over the rise of urgent care centers in the area. With same-day scheduling as an option, patients are able to book an appointment with their own primary care physician rather than wait at a local urgent care facility to see someone new. This has enabled The Iowa Clinic to meet urgent care needs with their existing clinics and locations rather than having to invest in additional capital-intensive urgent care centers.
The results of online self-scheduling speak for themselves, but it is important to note that these solutions can be even more effective with the input from and collaboration with different departments throughout a healthcare organization. When teams work together in unison, the impact is greater and the benefits to the organization are amplified.
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