In today’s ever-evolving healthcare landscape, it is important for medical practices to continuously engage with new patient demographics. Engaging with new patient demographics can help doctors grow their practice and expand their patient base, which has short- and long-term benefits for revenue, practice valuation, and profitability. Here are some strategies that medical practices are using in 2023 to engage with new patient demographics.
First you must understand the demographic. Before engaging with a new patient demographic, it is important for medical practices to understand the needs and preferences of that demographic. Medical practices should research the demographic’s healthcare needs, cultural beliefs, and communication preferences by interviewing representatives from the community or meeting with folks already working with them. This type of work can help your practice tailor the outreach approach to better engage with a new patient demographic.
Develop culturally competent care. Medical practices should strive to provide culturally competent care to all patients, with focused and inclusive efforts to honor their background. Culturally competent care involves understanding and respecting cultural differences and beliefs, and providing care that is sensitive to those differences. Medical practices should provide staff training on cultural competence and ensure that their facilities and policies are inclusive and welcoming to all patients.
Use patient-centered communication. Communication is a key factor in successfully engaging with new patient demographics. Your office can upgrade its patient-centered communication by tailoring communication offerings to the patient’s communication preferences. For example, some patients may prefer to communicate via text message or email, while others may prefer in-person conversations. Medical practices should also use language that is easily understandable to the patient and avoid the medical jargon that we are all guilty of inflecting into conversations.
Leverage technology. Technology is a powerful tool for engagement with new patient demographics. Your office can use telemedicine to connect with patients who may have difficulty accessing care due to geographic or transportation barriers. Patients can also utilize portals and mobile apps to improve access to medical records, schedule appointments, and communicate with their healthcare providers. Hiring a healthcare-focused digital partner is a great way to ensure your website is accessible and inclusive to current and new patient demographics.
Partner with community organizations. Partnering with community organizations can help medical practices reach new patient demographics. Community organizations may include religious institutions, cultural associations, and advocacy groups who have closer relationships with the community your practice is trying to reach. Medical practices can work with these organizations to provide health education and outreach programs that address the unique healthcare needs of the community.
Offer patient incentives: Many doctors offices offer incentives to existing patients that can help reach new patients because happy patients refer other patients to the practice. Incentives can include discounts on services, free consultations, or referral bonuses. These incentives can help attract new patients and encourage them to continue using the medical practice’s services and spread the word about how satisfied they are with the practice.
Engaging with new patient demographics is essential for doctors’ offices to grow and expand their patient base. Providers should understand the needs and preferences of new patient demographics, provide culturally competent care, use patient-centered communication, leverage technology, partner with community organizations, and offer patient incentives. By using these strategies, medical practices can successfully engage with new patient demographics and improve patient outcomes.
