Top Do's and Dont's for Patient Referrals

Now that it’s been a full week of providing you with patient enquiries, we are happy that 54 patients have been referred to doctors and clinics for bookings. With your effort and engagement, this number will only continue to grow and help people find the best healthcare services.  

With what we have been observing, we also believe that this is a good time to discuss some important do’s and dont’s you can consider to maximize patient conversions, or more plainly speaking, getting more patients to choose your services ahead of everyone else’s. Let's begin by first discussing some of the pitfalls when responding to patient referrals. 

Here are the top DON'TS when responding to patient referrals

DON’T be dismissive

People want to feel like their medical requirement is important and seeing immediate interest in their issue is necessary for them to trust you as a provider. Providing dismissive or trivial feedback using unrealistic prices, will definitely discourage patients from further considering your services.

DON’T ask the patient to contact you through phone or whatsapp

Patients want as much information as possible. The more information you provide, the easier and quicker their decision will be to click and claim your discount code. Remember, this is a marketplace for the best healthcare services, and people want to make snap call decisions. They have neither the patience nor the time to make phone calls to discuss the service and prices. 

DON’T use a big price range

While it may be justified medically, as to why a service has a big price range, for a regular person, it provides little comfort and the right expectations on how to budget for it. Avoid wide-gap price ranges whenever possible, and stick to a price bracket that you are comfortable with. 

So now that we've covered the top DON'TS in managing patient referrals, we want you to consider what we have observed as the most effective response for converting patient referrals into actual bookings.

The Perfect Feedback to a Patient Referral

The golden rule for managing referrals is ACCURACY! Giving a complete and simple explanation of the service. More importantly, along with a complete and simple description of the service, is using a fixed price, or if absolutely necessary, a price range with an acceptable price deviation. This, we have seen, is the most effective way to attract the most attention from patients, and with the highest conversion rate! Here is a perfect example from a provider on how to respond to a pateint referral: 

Conclusion

Waiting around to effectively respond to patient referrals is great, however, it will serve you better to login as a doctor or clinic, and use your dedicated dashboard to track and manage the real-time statuses of your feedback. More importantly, listing your services in advance allows us to prioritize your services ahead of the other providers that have nothing yet to show. You will be featured on our specialty page for better visibility, and this will also increase a patient’s interest in your services.

In addition, it is very important to be as clear as possible when addressing a patient's concerns. Be as specific as possible, minimize the use of medical jargon and try to explain everything in the least complicated way possible. Remember, most people are clueless about medical treatments, so try to simplify it in the easiest way possible. The best practice is having a set price for your service, however, if absolutely necessary, a small price range can also work in your favor. 

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