Physician group practices are serving their communities well in creating a diverse outpatient landscape: more care sites in more convenient locations with expanded hours and more virtual options. These investments open a lot of new front doors to patients, bringing care closer to home—or in the home.
To really expand access in an ongoing way, a practice needs to guide these patients and begin to build a long-term and personal relationship. That requires a strategy to convert on the practice’s front doors, both physical and virtual. Here are some elements to consider as part of the right conversion strategy.
Go beyond today’s need
At Providence Medical Group (PMG), the employed physician practice of Providence Health & Services in the Pacific Northwest region, the greatest area of opportunity comes through the group’s “on-demand” services, says Dawn Tolotti, Executive Director, PMG Operations. These include immediate and urgent care, walk-in clinics and virtual care.
“The benefit of us being on a single EMR is we can see the patient’s history and know if they have an established relationship with a PCP,” Tolotti says. “Our on-demand care teams, while addressing the immediate need, can also touch on other concerns and will discuss the importance of establishing a relationship with a PCP.”
A key to accomplishing this is following up with patients after the visit in a personalized way to reinforce the importance of establishing care. Outreach grounded in health communication principles motivates patients to convert and can also capture patient responses relative to obstacles.
