streamline patient care Archives

How to Overcome Your Weight Loss Practice Being the Best Kept Secret in Town

Posted on November 15, 2023 by Karol Clark

Transforming your weight loss practice from the best-kept secret in town to a recognized and highly sought-after choice requires a few key ingredients, and 4 strategic actions.

There is no doubt that the weight loss market is in a major state of change. With patient demands for weight loss medications and overt competition from other healthcare practitioners, big box stores, and self-proclaimed experts, sometimes it feels as if uncertainty is the only certainty in this ever-changing industry.

However, this is precisely why it is critical for weight loss practitioners and their teams to take a stand. It is necessary for you to establish, or expand, your solid footprint in the market and be known as the go-to expert when it comes to medical and/or surgical weight loss information and treatment. Coincidentally, this also transforms an outstanding practice with great patient outcomes from being the best kept secret in town to the sought-out expert of choice. It can separate you from your competition and helps to keep you from being ‘out marketed’ by your competition.

So how can you make this happen? It requires some key ingredients and consistent implementation of 4 strategic actions.

Key Ingredients

The key ingredients for any known expert to be ‘seen’ and ‘chosen’ by those they wish to serve include awareness, authenticity, trust, and results.

Establishing awareness involves your patients being aware of their need for the services you provide. It also involves showcasing your expertise, and unique perspective in a variety of ways so they can easily discover what you uniquely offer and how you can help them attain the transformation they desire.

Authenticity entails staying true to your values, presenting a genuine image, and fostering a connection with your ideal patients.

Trust is the foundation of any successful professional relationship. It is built through consistent honesty, reliability, and open communication.

Finally, results serve as the tangible evidence of your capabilities, showcasing the impact and value you bring to helping overweight and obese patients attain their desired outcomes.

While competitors may have deeper pockets or flashy marketing campaigns, you are able to compete effectively by embracing these ingredients and integrating them into the following four strategic actions.

4 Strategic Actions

As a weight loss practitioner, the goal isn’t just to exist, but to thrive as the go-to resource for patients on their weight loss journey. Over time, four strategic actions have been shown to help practitioners create this reality.

Clearly Define Your Unique Approach

It all starts by clearly identifying and articulating your unique approach to weight loss. What sets your practice apart from others? It could be your personalized service, science-based methodology, experience, comprehensive care, or cutting-edge technology. Begin by embracing your strengths and what resonates with your ideal patients.

1. Assess Your Program/Approach: Evaluate your current weight loss protocols, methodologies, offerings, and success stories. Identify the elements that have consistently delivered positive results for your clients. What do you and your team find your patients raving about when it comes to your services, programs, and products?
2. Create Your Unique Value Proposition: Develop a compelling value proposition that communicates the distinct benefits of selecting you and your practice. Emphasize the aspects that make your practice stand out.
3. Tailor Your Messaging: Ensure that your messaging aligns with what your ideal patients are feeling and desire most. Understand the specific challenges and aspirations they face and how you and your practice directly address these concerns. This alignment and clear communication will foster a sense of connection and understanding which is crucial for building a trusting relationship.

Enhance Your Visibility Through Outcome Driven Marketing

To become the preferred weight loss practice, you must actively and consistently engage with your current and prospective patients. Strategic outcome driven marketing initiatives amplify your visibility and position you as the best option for long-term weight loss success.

1. Optimize Your Online Presence: Take a look at your website from a patient’s perspective. Is it easy to find? Is it easy to navigate? Is the next step easy to take? Talk to your web master regarding SEO optimization techniques to ensure your practice shows up prominently in online searches. Leverage social media platforms to share valuable content, engage with your current and prospective patients, and showcase your expertise and patient outcomes.
2. Don’t Forget Content Marketing: One of the very best ways to optimize organic (free) and paid marketing efforts is to use easy to consume content such as blogs, videos, testimonials and expert comment on the latest weight loss trends. This significantly helps with your SEO and positions you as a valuable resource and authority in the field.
3. Leverage Local Partnerships: Collaborate with local businesses and healthcare providers. You can cross-promote and/or be featured in front of their audiences through webinars, shared content, and events. Be sure to include your patients as referral partners through a formalized referral or ambassador program.

Prioritize Patient Experience and Outcome

One of the best ways to becoming the preferred weight loss practice is ensuring exceptional patient experiences, measurable outcomes, and positive review and testimonials. These endorsements speak volumes as to the transformation you facilitate for your patients and clarifies why you are the best choice.

1. Personalized Care Experience: Provide personalized consultations, assessments, and follow-ups to make sure your patients feel ‘heard’ and supported. Building a strong rapport with your patients starting with their first inquiry fosters trust and loyalty, setting the stage for positive outcomes.
2. Transparent Communication: Foster open communication with your clients. Clearly explain your program, your methodologies, set realistic expectations, and keep your patients informed at every stage of their weight loss journey. Transparency builds confidence and enhances their overall experience.
3. Showcase Results: Implement data-driven practices to measure the success of your patients. With their permission, showcase their outcomes with before and after photos, testimonials, and outstanding online reviews. Share this success both online and throughout your practice.

Establish a Streamlined Care Delivery System

As patients seek the ideal partner for their weight loss journey, their level of trust is paramount to their decision-making process. Another essential element is how they feel as they experience your services, programs, and products. Having a predictable, yet personalized, care delivery system is not only preferred, but expected.

1. Convenience is King: Patients are accustomed to convenience, even as it relates to healthcare. Be sure that your team and your software accommodates this expectation. Having convenient ways to communicate (secure text/e-mail/phone), track their progress, access education (video/written) that are seamlessly delivered can and will set you apart from your competitors.
2. Online and Onsite Care Coordination: Making sure that your care delivery system is seamless both online and, in your office, will ensure a positive patient experience.
3. Systems and Reporting: In addition to the care you provide, you will do yourself, your team and your patients a favor by having systems in place for maximum efficiency and predictable performance. In addition, having convenient reporting and tracking tools are critical for smart decision making.

It’s time to go from being the best-kept secret in town to the number one choice for weight loss transformation. Implementing these key ingredients, principles and strategies are a great way to make that happen.

If you are looking for an all-in-one streamlined software platform for tracking new and existing patients and communicating securely in all modes, there is a solution. You can learn more at https://www.pronexinc.com/ It is one of the few solutions that is inter-operable with most EMR systems and can serve as a powerful EMR as well – making it truly an all-in-one system.

About the Author: Karol Clark, MSN, RN, is a best-selling author who has a passion for helping physicians integrate effective, profitable weight loss services and retail sales into their practice while improving patient outcomes and enjoying the journey along the way. Her use of non-traditional (easy to implement) medical marketing strategies, along with her dedication to a positive ROI makes her a uniquely different and sought-after weight loss business consultant. Karol is the CEO of Weight Loss Practice Builder and the exclusive membership program for weight loss practitioners, www.BariatricBusinessAccelerator.com. She has more than 20 years of experience working with surgical and medical weight loss physicians and their teams helping them simplify creation of a profitable and enjoyable bariatric practice.

5 Ways to Improve Employee Engagement in Your Weight Loss Practice

Posted on October 9, 2023 by Karol Clark

Ongoing positive employee engagement is critical to the success of your weight loss practice. Thankfully, there are some fun and simple ways to make this a reality.

The benefits of having an engaged team of employees are many. Some noted benefits include:

– Higher level of productivity
– Lower absenteeism rate
– Increased motivation and creativity
– Greater degree of enthusiasm
– Improved customer service/higher customer loyalty

Yet, with the many changes in healthcare, it can be difficult to attract and retain top talent – let alone keep them engaged and excited to be an integral, long-term member of your team. Whether your weight loss practice is independent, or part of a multi-specialty group or large health system, nearly everyone has felt frustration when it comes to this topic.

Some practices are still recovering from the many disruptions that came with the recent pandemic. In addition, the competition for skilled team members and overwhelm for those that have stayed the course, filling in as needed, has contributed to leadership and team burnout.

So, what are some practical ways to improve employee engagement? Below are five effective strategies.
Understand What Motivates Your Employees

Understanding what motivates your employees is a great way to foster engagement and productivity. When leaders take the time to identify the unique drivers that fuel their employees, they demonstrate that they care about team motivation. Such understanding can also guide more productive interactions. Whether their motivators are recognition, a sense of purpose, career advancement, or a supportive work environment, aligning these motivators with your management style and their assigned tasks leads to higher job satisfaction. This also allows you to cultivate a work environment where individuals are inspired to put forth their best effort.

Create a Positive Work Environment

A positive work environment is the foundation of employee engagement. When employees feel valued and supported at work, they are more likely to be engaged. Some factors influencing a positive work environment include:

Open Communication: Encourage open communication when things are going well in addition to when there are troubling times. Make sure your team sincerely feels heard and valued. Provide prompt, positive and/or constructive feedback on their performance.

Recognition and Appreciation: Acknowledging the hard work of your teams’ accomplishments can go a long way in boosting morale and engagement. A simple verbal or written acknowledgement makes a big difference!

Work-Life Balance: Promote a healthy work-life balance by offering flexible work arrangements if possible and respecting employees’ time off outside of work.

Set Clear Expectations and Goals

Sometimes people underestimate the many benefits of clear expectations and goals for team members. It starts before they are hired and are reinforced throughout onboarding and orientation. When expectations and goals are unclear, team members can become disengaged and frustrated. Here are some ways to set clear expectations and goals:

Job Descriptions: Make sure that your job descriptions are detailed and accurate, outlining the responsibilities and expectations for each role.

Delegation of Outcomes: Try delegating your desired outcome. For example, two new 5 star reviews each week. Have a team member take ownership of the outcome, explore ways to attain the outcome, and coordinate implementation and measurement. Be sure to review their work and provide input as needed. Challenges, trust, provision of guidance, and any necessary resources helps employees engage, improves their confidence and creates a win-win situation.

Prompt Feedback: Provide prompt and regular feedback as well as positive coaching to help employees understand their progress and address areas for improvement.

Stay Interviews: If you haven’t implemented stay interviews, you should. They are a great way to openly and sincerely evaluate how your employees are feeling, what they feel is going well, what needs to be improved, and what their goals are for the future.

Cultivate Employee Development

If team training seems to be a thing of the past, employees may feel unmotivated because they are not learning anything new. Investing in their development not only enhances their skills but shows that you value their growth. Offer training programs, mentorship and coaching as well as cross-training as appropriate which benefits the team member as well as your weight loss practice.

Embrace Your Uniqueness, Values and Vision

Engaged employees want to be a part of a bigger vision, rather than just having a ‘job’. Be sure to share how your practice was developed, what your practice values are, and why they are important and how they fit into your vision. This helps guide their behavior and can set your weight loss practice apart from other competitors. Your vision is unique. Embrace what makes you different from your competitors and weave your values into your marketing and ongoing team and patient communication.

By implementing these strategies, you can create a more engaged and motivated workforce that creates success for your practice and your patients. Engaged employees are not only more productive, but also more likely to stay with your practice, reducing turnover and recruitment costs as well.

How to Effectively Manage Your New Patients from Inquiry to Weight Loss Surgery

Posted on August 1, 2023 by Karol Clark

The weight loss surgery industry is highly competitive. Effectively following up with patients interested in weight loss surgery and showcasing why your practice is their ideal choice for attaining the transformation they desire is critical to your success.

If you are reading this, then you likely know how competitive the market is for weight loss surgery practices. Traditional marketing strategies are not as effective and patients have many options to choose from for both medical and surgical weight loss. It is time to embrace this as a good thing and learn how to outshine your competitors, feel good about your engagement efforts, and create better outcomes for those you serve.

In order to make this happen, building trust, showcasing your expertise, and providing exceptional patient care and support are essential. When you effectively do this, you are better able to attract new patients and allow them to see why you are the best option for their weight loss surgery journey. Below are nine building blocks to making this a reality in your weight loss surgery practice:

Engage with Empathy

From the moment a lead reaches out to your practice, prioritize empathy and understanding. You will also want to respond promptly to their inquiries, addressing any concerns or questions with care. Create a welcoming and supportive environment during initial phone calls, e-mail exchanges and/or text communication. This helps to establish a positive first impression that should continue throughout their journey.

Educate and Inform

Nurturing leads involves providing valuable and educational content about the questions they ask most, in addition to information they should be asking about. Offer resources like informative blog posts, videos with your providers, ongoing e-mails, and helpful downloadable guides, recipes and tips for success. Educating your potential new patients helps to foster trust and positions you as an expert in the field. Much of this can be automated.

Personalize Your Communication

While there are similarities, every potential new patient has unique needs and expectations. Therefore, it is important to personalize your communication to address their specific circumstances. During your interactions and initial consultation, take the time to listen to their weight loss struggles, address their concerns and questions, and develop a plan that aligns with their desired goals while also keeping expectations realistic. Of course, you and your team likely already do this, so this is simply a reminder.

Share Success Stories

Social proof is something that prospective new patients can and will search for online. It is critical that you share your success stories and testimonials from previous patients who have achieved outstanding (yet likely typical) weight loss results with your practice. This should be shared in the form of graphics, blogs and short videos for maximum leverage and impact. Seeing this – as well as positive online reviews – instills additional confidence that you and your team are the right weight loss surgery choice.

Offer Convenient Complimentary Webinars & Seminars

It has never been as easy as it is today to share information with your current and prospective patients. While in person seminars may be great for conversion purposes, you can be just as effective with online methods. Hosting free educational webinars and seminars can be an excellent way to not only share information but what makes you and your practice unique. You can also address common misconceptions, answer questions in real-time, and create a trusting bond so that whenever they meet you in person, they feel as if they know you already. Coincidentally, when done well, they are also farther along in their decision process and often ready to get started.

Provide Ongoing Support

Nurturing leads goes well beyond your initial discussions and consultation. Support must be offered throughout their decision-making process in the communication form they prefer. This could be email, telephone, texts or one private HIPAA compliant portal that can accommodate them all. In such an option, you can also keep track of their entire journey in one place so anyone on your team can see it at a glance. Once they are an established weight loss surgery patient, continued communication as well as access to ongoing support groups and resources is important.

Address Concerns & Objections

Understand that potential patients may have concerns or objections regarding weight loss surgery. It is important to address these openly and honestly. Provide them with the information they need so they can make an educated decision. Such transparency builds credibility and trust.

Offer Flexible Payment Options

No doubt, financial considerations can be a significant factor in the decision-making process for your prospective new weight loss surgery patients. Flexible payment options, including financial payment plans or insurance coverage information can help overcome this potential barrier and create greater accessibility to the services, programs and products you offer.

Showcase Your Expertise

Your patients are searching for convenient, educational information and answers to their questions so make sure you show up in their search. You can do this economically by sharing organic (non-paid) content that showcases you and your practice’s expertise, as well as what sets you apart from your competitors. You can do this through expert articles, videos, blogs, podcast interviews, local media, among others. Demonstrating your knowledge and experience can reinforce your position as the top choice for weight loss surgery in and around your geographical area.

Every new lead that comes into your practice is an opportunity to develop a lasting relationship. One filled with trust and positive outcomes which commonly leads to additional referrals to your practice. By implementing the building blocks above, you can set yourself apart from your competitors and increase the number of patients choosing you and your practice for weight loss surgery.

If you are looking for an all-in-one platform for implementing these building blocks, there is a solution. You can learn more at https://www.pronexinc.com/

4 Valuable Patient Flow Features that Positively Impact Team Performance and Patient Care in Your Weight Loss Practice

Posted on July 6, 2023 by Karol Clark

Quality care, enhanced patient satisfaction, effective engagement, optimal resource utilization, and growth of your weight loss practice all rely on efficient patient flow management.

The days of having to manually track new leads for your weight loss practice, referral sources, secure communication, patient conversion, requirements for weight loss surgery insurance authorization, and ongoing patient education are over. While manual processes may work for a period of time, they prove to be time-consuming, prone to errors, and in the long run, more expensive than streamlined options. And, if you are serious about growing your weight loss practice, such manual efforts can hinder your progress.

As you are likely aware, Patient Flow® is one of the most robust and reliable software systems available to practitioners and health systems that actually allows you to do all of this in one place. In addition, you can save money by consolidating some of your software systems. You can also integrate Patient Flow® into your current electronic medical record for added automation to easily keep everything secure and up to date.

You may be wondering what other valuable features are available that can positively impact your weight loss practice day-to-day operations as well as your patient care processes. Below are some of these features:

Real-Time Patient Tracking

Patient Flow® software enables healthcare teams to track patients’ movement in real-time throughout their healthcare journey. This feature provides an instant overview of the status of each patient as they move from being an interested patient to an established patient. You no longer have to worry about people ‘falling through the crack’. With real-time patient tracking, your team can better manage their workflows, allocate resources efficiently, and provide more efficient care and communication. This also enhances your patient experience and the likelihood of a positive review and more patient referrals.

Automated Task Assignment and Reminders

Patient Flow® software includes the ability for automated task assignment (for your team and for your patients) as well as reminder features to streamline communication and coordination of your care. You determine the automatic tasks based upon predefined rules and priorities. By automating these processes, you can make sure your patients know exactly what they need to complete – even their own customized ‘to do’ list. Your team can then focus more on delivering quality patient care with less time on manual coordination of tasks and tracking patient compliance.

Data Analytics and Performance Metrics

Patient Flow® software offers powerful data analytics capabilities for one location or across an entire business enterprise. These analytics tools can generate comprehensive reports with graphic representations that enable you to identify potential bottlenecks, analyze trends, and make data-driven decisions. By monitoring key performance metrics, you can identify areas for improvement and continuously improve nearly every important aspect of your practice. At any point, you can gauge the health of your practice.

Streamlined Patient Processes, Software and Communication

Are you tired of maintaining multiple databases? Perhaps a database for new patient leads, customized e-mail communication, text messaging, phone calls, website inquiries and more! Yet, none actually communicate with your EMR? It is very convenient for you and your team to have everything in one HIPAA compliant place. And, Patient Flow® is inter-operable with your existing EMR so you aren’t entering information more than once – saving time and precious financial resources. You can automate all documentation as well as patient education. While it may seem too good to be true, such comprehensive software improves the efficiency of your team while improving patient communication and satisfaction.

Patient Flow® software has revolutionized the way healthcare team’s manage patient care, leading to enhanced team performance and improved patient outcomes. The features outlined highlight the true power available to you and your practice today.

If you are looking for an all-in-one platform for implementing such remote healthcare education and communication services, you can learn more at https://www.pronexinc.com/

Making Remote Healthcare Trends Effective for You and Your Weight Loss Patients

Posted on June 6, 2023 by Karol Clark

Remote healthcare, especially for weight loss management, has emerged as a relevant and sought-after approach to care. Successful implementation requires contemplation, the right mindset, and effective tools.

June, 2023 marks 10 years since the American Medical Association recognized obesity a complex disease. As a weight loss professional, you understand that obesity is a complex disease that carries with it a wide range of health problems such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea, certain types of cancers and more. Thus, it is no surprise that, while in-person weight management treatments continue to be important, new technologies such as telehealth, wearable devices and mobile apps offer opportunities to enhance obesity care, while improving access to care.

While remote care is not for every patient or practitioner, when utilized properly, it can provide an effective and convenient way of providing education, real-time monitoring, counseling, support, and accountability.

Below are some of the emerging remote health care trends impacting nearly every aspect of obesity treatment by weight loss practitioners and their teams.

Virtual Consultations and Telemedicine

Telehealth consultations have become increasingly popular, offering a convenient and accessible way for healthcare professionals to connect with their patients. For weight loss management, virtual consultations allow you to conduct initial assessments, discuss goals, provide personalized guidance, and track progress. By leveraging video conferencing tools, you can maintain regular contact with your patients, offer timely support, and address any concerns they may have.

Wearable Technology and Mobile Health Apps

The integration of mobile apps and wearable devices has transformed the weight loss journey for patients. These tools enable individuals to monitor their physical activity, track their calorie intake, set goals, and receive real-time feedback. As a healthcare professional, you can recommend reputable apps and devices that align with your patients’ needs. By reviewing their progress remotely, you can provide personalized recommendations and adjust strategies to ensure effective weight loss outcomes.

Virtual Support

Support groups have long been recognized as an essential element of successful weight loss journeys. Remote healthcare now enables the creation of virtual support groups, connecting individuals who share similar goals and struggles. By facilitating online forums or video conferences, you can foster a sense of community among your patients. This support network will offer encouragement, motivation, and a platform for sharing experiences and challenges, making the weight loss process more enjoyable and effective.

Remote Monitoring & Data Analysis

Remote monitoring devices, such as smart scales and blood pressure monitors, enable patients to track vital health metrics from the comfort of their homes. As a healthcare professional, you can access this data remotely and analyze trends to gain valuable insights into your patients’ progress. By identifying patterns, you can make informed decisions, offer personalized interventions, and celebrate milestones. Regular remote monitoring empowers both you and your patients to take proactive steps towards achieving their weight loss goals.

Continuous Education & Communication

Remote healthcare allows you to stay connected with your weight loss patients through various digital channels, such as emails, chat platforms, or patient portals. Utilize these communication channels to provide continuous education on nutrition, exercise, and behavior modification strategies. Sharing relevant articles, videos, or webinars can help your patients stay motivated and well-informed throughout their weight loss journey. By being readily available to address questions and concerns, you can foster a strong patient-provider relationship, ensuring their success.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing remote healthcare by enabling advanced data analysis, diagnostics, and personalized treatment recommendations. AI-powered algorithms can analyze large datasets, identify patterns, and make predictions, aiding healthcare professionals in diagnosing diseases, identifying risk faction, and optimizing treatment plans. These technologies enhance the accuracy and efficiency of remote healthcare, leading to improved patient outcomes and more informed decision-making.

The implementation of remote healthcare trends in weight loss management opens up new possibilities for healthcare professionals and their patients. Embracing telehealth consultations, mobile apps, virtual support groups, remote monitoring, and continuous education can significantly enhance your ability to support your patients effectively. By leveraging these tools, you can empower individuals to take control of their weight loss journey, achieve their goals, and ultimately lead healthier lives. Embrace the power of remote healthcare and witness the transformative impact it can have on your patients and your practice.

If you are looking for an all-in-one platform for implementing such remote healthcare education and communication services, you can learn more at https://www.pronexinc.com/

How to Increase Referrals for Your Weight Loss Practice

Posted on May 8, 2023May 8, 2023 by Karol Clark

Referrals are an effective strategy for attracting new patients and growing your weight loss practice.

Having a consistent stream of new patient referrals is a great compliment to you and your team. Sometimes it may feel as if referral patterns are already established within health systems and medical groups. However, there are always opportunities to influence positive referral patterns for your weight loss practice.

Referral Sources

To start, it helps to determine your current and potential referral sources. This allows you to identify missed opportunities as well as what is working well.

When you consider your current and potential referral sources, think about where your patients seek advice or information prior to finding you. Most commonly this includes:

Patients/Word of Mouth: Patients who have had a great experience are likely to tell others and openly share their positive opinions.
Family & Friends: It is common for patients to ask trusted family and friends for their opinion regarding practitioners and related weight loss services.
Online Research & Reviews: Online research and reviews tends to be one of the most common ways people will discover you and your weight loss services. Patients tend to search for services, read online reviews, check credentials, make comparisons (and often decisions) before they ever reach out to you directly.
Other Physicians and Specialists: Referrals from other physicians and specialists is one of the other common sources of patients for many physician practices. This is more likely to be the case if they see repetitive positive weight loss outcomes experienced by their patients that utilize your services.
Drive-By: While location isn’t necessarily important for every specialty, it can be very helpful for weight loss practitioners since it increases awareness for those who have weight loss top of mind. When they see your signage on a regular basis, you readily come to mind as they contemplate their care decision.
Hospitals and Clinics: Depending upon your location and how active you are with your local hospitals and clinics, they can be a good source of new patient referrals.
Insurance companies: Insurance companies can refer patients seeking weight loss to a physician practice, particularly if they are in their network of providers.

All of these can be great referral sources for your weight loss practice. If you aren’t documenting exactly where your patients are finding you, begin there. This data is invaluable in order to determine the most impactful actions you can take moving forward and measure the impact of your efforts.

How to Increase Referrals

The process of obtaining referrals, processing referrals, thanking referrals, and nurturing your best referral sources often gets put on the back burner (or taken for granted). You are busy! This makes it easy to be bogged down with the day-to-day operations of your practice or get overwhelmed with determining how to create an efficient referral system. It is often easier to simply accept whatever referrals you get instead of actively seeking additional quality referrals.

The actions below will help you and your team accelerate your efforts when it comes to obtaining more referrals and growing your weight loss practice.

1. Back to Basics: While likely second nature for you, it is important to ensure that you and your team review the basics of what creates effortless and natural referral patterns. The basic ingredients include:

Provide Outstanding Patient Care: The foundation of your weight loss practice is your outstanding patient care. Delivering personalized, compassionate, and effective care to your patients leaves a positive impression and creates a natural desire for them to share their experience with others who seek the same outcome.

Establish Positive Relationships: Your patients remember how you made them feel throughout their journey to better health. Getting to know them on a personal level and providing the education, support and accountability they may or may not realize they need goes a long way.

Facilitate Desired Outcomes: Help your patients set realistic goals that guide them to their desired outcome. Provide them with the tools and resources they need to attain long-term success. When patients feel empowered and informed, they are more likely to appreciate your expertise and accountability. This also increases the likelihood of them sharing their positive experience and referring others who desire similar outcomes.

Involve Your Team: Your team is your reputation. They are also the best resource for establishing and systematizing your entire referral process. While one person may oversee the referral system, everyone plays an important role in making it successful.

2. Identify Your Ideal Referral Sources: It is important for you to determine your best referral sources. For weight loss practitioners, this typically includes successful patients, referring physicians and some local groups. For your patients, in addition to having ‘referral’ prompts such as literature around your office about how to refer friends/family and testimonials on your walls, you will want to identify what patients you (your team) wish to approach for a referral. The best time to ask for a referral is typically when they are the happiest. For surgery patients, this is usually at 6 months, 9 months or 1 year. For medical patients, it is when they are ecstatic about their results and telling your all about the positive impact weight loss has had on their life. For referring physicians/groups, select those that want/need their patients to lose weight such as prior to a surgery to improve safety and enhance the patient’s outcome. This tends to be plastic surgeons and orthopedic surgeons as well as bariatric surgeons if they do not have an established medical weight loss program. For local groups/businesses, select ones that are looking for educational offerings/programs and have the demographic you desire to serve.

3. Systematize Your Referral Process: Predictability comes with established systems. You and your team need to make it easy for patients and other providers to refer patients to you and your practice. Involve your team and make sure someone takes ownership for setting up the system and tracking results. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways. Since some people are more traditional and others more tech savvy, it helps to provide both written and electronic ways for the referral to be made. What is simple for THEM is what will get done. You can tie in an incentive if you desire. If you do, rewarding both the person referring and the person referred is a nice gesture. However, most referring patients and practitioners do not expect something in return for sending you a referral – often a simple written ‘thank you’ means the most.

4. Showcase Your Results: Another great way to obtain more referrals is to showcase the results of your happy patients. For patients, if they are happy enough to refer other patients to you, they are likely more than willing to write an online review that can be showcased online as well as in your office with their comments and photo. Always obtain their permission. For referring physicians, be sure to communicate regularly to them regarding the progress of the patients they have referred to you. Send them a kind thank you note as well.

Building a strong referral program takes time and effort. However, it is a valuable tool for growing your practice. You can also automate the process by leveraging technology. If you are interested in learning more about how to leverage all-in-one software solutions that simplifies your efforts, feel free to schedule a no pressure informative demo by clicking here.

About the Author: Karol Clark, MSN, RN, is a best-selling author who has a passion for helping physicians integrate effective, profitable weight loss services and retail sales into their practice while improving patient outcomes and enjoying the journey along the way. Her use of non-traditional (easy to implement) medical marketing strategies, along with her dedication to a positive ROI makes her a uniquely different and sought-after weight loss business consultant. Karol is the CEO of Weight Loss Practice Builder and the exclusive membership program for weight loss practitioners, www.BariatricBusinessAccelerator.com. She has more than 20 years of experience working with surgical and medical weight loss physicians and their teams helping them simplify creation of a profitable and enjoyable bariatric practice.

How to Streamline Patient Care & Education in Your Weight Loss Surgery Practice Without Losing Your Personal Touch

Posted on April 3, 2023 by Karol Clark

Do you ever feel like you are saying the same things over and over to your weight loss surgery patients, yet have avoided streamlining your education and other functions of your practice because it may seem too impersonal? Here are some effective ways to streamline your education and patient care while improving engagement.

As a busy weight loss practitioner, your time is one of your greatest assets. This is also the case for your entire team. And, while education is an integral part of a successful outcome for your weight loss surgery patients, wouldn’t it be helpful if you could provide the perfectly timed education and accountability your patients need while saving you and your team time? It has never been as easy as it is today. This applies to streamlining your patient care process as well without losing your personal touch.

While it may take some time to set your system up, it is well worth it. Streamlining your patient care and education can improve patient outcomes, increase patient satisfaction, improve office efficiency, create predictability, and reduce your overall costs.

Below are five ways to streamline your patient care and education while maintaining your personal touch:

1. Create Educational Assets: Creating standardized educational assets for the education and guidance you and your team provide every day. This includes assets such as webinars, videos, e-books, PDF guides, purposeful automated e-mails or a combination. A great use of such assets is timed distribution to your patients at just the right time in their journey to keep them informed and your practice top of mind. It is also a great way to address commonly asked questions, while anticipating their needs every step of the way. You can even leverage your content by putting your pre-operative and post-operative education into an actual book and use helpful tips from your content in your social media marketing plan to attract new patients. Leveraging your content in such ways also saves you time, increases the consistency of your message, allows your patients to review the information when convenient for them, and allows you to track their progress – all while setting your practice apart from your competitors. Start with creation of one type of asset and if desired, you can create additional educational assets that can be available in various learning formats. Then present them electronically or in person to your patients at just the right time before or after surgery. Automation, mixed with personal contact has been found to be extremely helpful.
2. Maximize Use of Technology: Technology can be frustrating at times. However, when you find what works for you and maximize its use, it can transform your life and practice. Technology is also an expectation of most patients who have grown accustomed to the convenience of online scheduling, patient portals, engaging video education, prompt text support and everything in between. Finding a solution that combines everything in one, easy to use HIPAA compliant application, simplifies the process even further. Some specific technology applications you can find included in one integrated software solution includes:
1. a. Patient Lead Tracking: Track the lifecycle of your patients from the moment they find out about you and your services. Keep them engaged and educated every step of the way.
2. b. Telemedicine: Offer the convenience of telemedicine appointments for those who prefer this type of visit as appropriate. Telemedicine can also increase your reach and ensure your patients keep up with their follow-up appointments.
3. c. Online Registration: Integrating online registration functionality helps improve demographic data accuracy, office efficiency and timely onboarding of new patients.
4. d. Ongoing Communication in One Location: All of your communication is in one place so you aren’t looking for phone messages, texts and e-mails in more than one inbox. Keep your entire team up to date and follow-up with your patients more efficiently.
5. e. KPI Tracking: You can monitor the progress of your patients with real-time dashboards and outcome tracking instead of multiple spreadsheets.
6. f. Patient Education: You can augment your in-office education with automated (or fresh off the press) educational materials delivered to your patients in your portal, via a membership site, your educational app accessible from anywhere as well as conveniently via secure e-mail or text.
3. Optimize Use of Your Patient Portal: Patient portals are an excellent way to provide access to educational materials, appointment reminders, health records, and obtaining any required documentation prior to submitting authorization for surgery. It is also a great way to keep patients informed of updates and providing ongoing support or links to convenient applications you use.
4. Train Your Team: Include your team on selection and implementation of any new technology. Your team will likely be an integral part of your educational asset creation. They should be aware of – and assist with creation of – your communication plan. Maximize the use of team talents and let them help create and document your implementation systems.
5. Measure Outcomes: As mentioned earlier, streamlining your patient care and education creates data points that are easier to track. You will know where your patients come from, actions completed at every step of your patients journey and key performance metric reports. And you can find these real-time metrics in one convenient location.

Your patients want and need streamlined care and patient education. You and your team need added efficiency and a way to track key performance metrics for your practice and your patients. Creating such a system will benefit all involved while allowing more time for your ‘personal touch’.

If you are interested in learning more about an effective all-in-one software solution for your practice, it’s time to learn more and schedule a demo by clicking here.