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Creating buzz: New approaches to marketing

With the growing popularity of PPOs over HMOs and the growth of consumer-directed health care programs, some physicians are discovering the importance of promoting their practices. These days, it takes more than a listing in an insurance directory.

By — Posted Feb. 6, 2006

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When it comes to spreading the word about your practice, many physicians feel a sign outside the office and a listing in an insurance directory are sufficient. But the doctors at Arroyo Seco Medical Group in Pasadena, Calif., wanted to set themselves apart from the pack.

Promoting their services in local movie theaters is certainly one way of doing that.

Twice a year, during open enrollment periods, Arroyo Seco, a primary care group with more than a dozen physicians, buys ads that appear as slides in theaters before the start of a movie. So, while prospective patients are chewing popcorn and sipping sodas, they can be reminded of where to go if they get sick or need a checkup.

A theater promotion -- likely inserted among ads for businesses such as the local ice cream parlor and family restaurant -- strays from tradition when it comes to marketing a practice. But in today's changing business environment for doctors, tradition might no longer be the guiding principle.

"The bottom line was that we felt that just having our name in the HMO directory was not going to be enough," said Henry P. Sideropoulos, MD, an internist and president of Arroyo Seco. "We want to differentiate ourselves from other groups in the area, and just having our name in the directory doesn't do that."

More physician groups are taking a similar approach to marketing their services, especially in an era of increasing patient choice. Enrollment in PPO programs is up compared with that in HMOs, and more companies are steering employees to consumer-directed health care plans, where patients are expected to take more ownership in their health care.

No longer shackled to the confines of an HMO network, patients are looking beyond their directories for medical care options.

"People do have a choice, especially these days," said Steve Smalley, MD, a cardiologist with Iowa Heart Center, based in Des Moines. For physicians, he said, "there is a buzz that can be created, so it's important to be out there."

Research has shown that patients often select a physician based on word-of-mouth advice and physician referrals, and that they pay attention to data such as patient satisfaction ratings and a physician's training.

Creating marketing buzz can keep your practice on the tips of people's tongues, which can help when a prospective patient is looking for advice on whom to see, health care consultants said.

Building awareness, relationships

Marketing your practice not only builds awareness of your services, it also builds a relationship with current patients and helps them develop a preference for what you offer, said Rob Schweers, director of public relations and marketing for Iowa Heart Center.

Considering that many patients see physicians only once or twice a year, regular communication can help cement those bonds, he said. While advertising has not been a common expense for physician practices, AMA guidelines do not prohibit doctors from any kind of promotion. But AMA policy does say a physician's advertising should not be misleading, which is in compliance with federal law.

While physicians might be looking beyond insurance directories and telephone books, they still have to be cognizant of the expectations that go with their profession. You probably don't want to purchase ad time during a late-night violent movie, and you would be wary of having the local shock jock read the copy of your radio ad, experts say.

In fact, most practices would not be able to advertise on television because of cost, and some radio ads could be expensive, depending on time slot and frequency. But there are plenty of other less costly ways physicians can market their practices, including newspaper advertisements and direct mail.

Marketing is becoming more sophisticated

"I've noticed a trend probably in the last two years or so toward more marketing," said Robert Smith, a health care consultant based in Rockford, Ill. "Before, people blew a lot of money and thought it would work just because they were on TV or in a full-page spread."

Marketing efforts have become more sophisticated in recent years, as businesses have learned how to narrow their target audience. While each form of promotion has its advantages, most practices operate on a fairly tight budget, meaning you don't want to waste exposure on those who won't become your patients.

Some physicians are tapping into the power of direct marketing, renting lists that can hone a community into a tight group of potential patients. For example, if you wanted to market a service such as osteoporosis screening, you could obtain a list of women older than 55 in a certain ZIP code and send promotional materials directly to those potential patients.

"The idea is throwing a rock in the ocean versus throwing a rock in a puddle," Smith said. "You can offer a free initial consultation or exam, or list a phone number and ask them to call for more information."

But to create that "top-of-mind awareness," as they say in marketing circles, you need to build positive exposure. That often comes through a multifaceted promotional campaign, consultants said.

For example, many patients might lump your practice's promotion in with the rest of their junk mail and throw it away without examining it, but they might be less inclined to do so if they remember your group from another setting, such as a newspaper ad. Or, you could direct prospective patients to your group's Web site, which includes valuable information, such as satisfaction scores from other patients and physician credentials.

Some of the most successful promotional strategies are the ones that cost the least amount of money. Volunteering as an expert for local media outlets can bring instant recognition and credibility, especially if you make yourself available to local reporters and producers on a regular basis, consultants said.

Physicians at Iowa Heart Center are regulars on local television as experts discussing the latest cardiology trend. Because the physicians are available for quick interviews when necessary, interviewers keep coming back, Dr. Smalley said.

Other groups get exposure through community outreach activities. Arroyo Seco co-sponsors a health event at a local senior center every year to spread its name among seniors, who make up a large percentage of the group's patient population. While the sponsorship costs the group money, it shares the cost with other organizations, and having the group's name associated with such an event helps promote a positive feeling among the patients, Dr. Sideropoulos said.

Even hosting an open house at your office can help your practice stay recognizable in the community. This is a common idea among new businesses, but consultants say an annual event can highlight new services, introduce partners or simply remind people that you're there.

The guest list should include other physicians, other health care professionals and even other local professionals, such as attorneys, who could refer patients during conversation, said Larina Kase, PsyD, president of Performance & Success Coaching, a small-business marketing firm in Philadelphia.

"If you think about it, it's a pretty inexpensive way to get visibility in front of a lot of people," she said. "You can also schedule speaking engagements and visit different networking events, where people who might refer to you would go."

Measure your success

Regardless of what marketing strategy you choose, consultants said you need to pay close attention to which ones draw the desired response. A newspaper advertisement might be more effective than a radio ad, but you won't know unless you attempt to measure each promotion's effectiveness.

"One of the key things is to include all the people who work in the practice and bring them into the fold," said Chris Martin, MPH, a health care public relations consultant based in Chicago. "Let them know what you're doing, because they're the ones who can help track and measure."

If you're being quoted in a newspaper story on Feb. 13, you can inquire from patients coming in or making appointments on Feb. 14 and 15 if they saw the article. You can compare the money spent, if any, to the return, whether you're measuring that in terms of dollars or new patients, Martin said.

The key is to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to promotion, consultants said. Words doctors preach to patients when it comes to staying healthy can apply to their own marketing strategies, they said.

"Doctors are a lot like their patients in that they only think about marketing after an acute incident has occurred, like a referral source has dried up or a contract wasn't renewed," Martin said. "Preventive marketing will have a lower cost and be more cost-effective."

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Promotional possibilities

Here are different ways experts say you can market your practice, with advantages and disadvantages for each.

TV/radio advertising: Offers ideal exposure in a local market, but cost can be prohibitive.

Newspaper advertising: Excellent exposure locally, but you might need to purchase ads on a regular basis to have the desired effect.

Direct mail: Allows you to target ideal patients, but they might view it as junk mail and throw it away.

Movie theater advertising: A unique approach that appeals to a captive audience, but cost might be high for the number of target patients who might actually see the ad.

Publicity/expert opinions: Providing expert insight to local news outlets is a great way to build credibility in the community, but opportunities are unpredictable and you might be needed on short notice.

Health fair sponsorships: A tremendous community outreach activity, but your reach might be limited for the amount of time spent away from the practice.

Open house: An inexpensive way to spread the word about your practice among colleagues and other professionals, but your reach could be limited.

Visits to large employers: Gives you one-on-one contact with prospective patients, but it takes away from time you can spend seeing patients in the office.

Web site: Helpful to provide information about physicians and services offered, but information can become stodgy and the site can be time-consuming to maintain.

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Top 10 physician attributes

A California study found that patient satisfaction tops the criteria patients consider when choosing a primary care doctor.

  • Patient satisfaction for quality of care.
  • Satisfaction for access.
  • Satisfaction for interpersonal skills.
  • Medical education and training.
  • Credentials, board certification.
  • Health plan's overall rating of the physician's office.
  • Patient satisfaction for helpfulness of staff in assisting patient through managed care process.
  • Years of experience.
  • How the physician compares with the national average of patients who disenrolled in the past year.
  • How the physician's practice of preventive medicine compares with the national average.

Source: California State University, San Bernardino study, reported in International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Nov. 4, 2004

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