Building a strong physician referral network for the benefit of the patients and hospitals

<![CDATA[Networking is undoubtedly one of the best ways to expand a business. It is of advantage in the healthcare industry as well. It gives the professional the advantage of working with those he would like to. It also helps the professional in the expansion of his healthcare business with more ease. The referral method helps the patient get the treatment from the right specialist easily.

Build a High-Performing Physician Referral Network

• In order to build a referral network first make a list of all those doctors and clinics that are there around you. Go through it and check the ones with whom you already have a good rapport and also the ones, who can help in developing a good physician referral network.
• Once you have zeroed down on the person you want to add in the networking list, meet him personally and discuss your business ideas. Try and understand his business ethics and plans so that it helps you take the right decision.
• Referral network cannot be achieved in a single meeting. You will have to meet a number of times.
• Always be thankful to the physician for referring patients to you. Your down to earth attitude will help you establish a better network.
• Once your comfort levels with a small group are set you can think about expansion and adding of more doctors to your group.

Keys to Setting Up a Referral Network for Your Practice:

• Make sure that you select the right partner with whom you can gel well and one who will be able to send you more referrals. Take into consideration nature of practice and select a person with whom you can have a long association.
• Relationship building is of utmost importance. If you get a referral patient then make sure to thank the physician and also keep his office updated about the progress of the patient. If you have referred a patient to another doctor then make sure that your office gets the updates about the patients’ progress.
• Do regular surveys with your referral network in order to understand what is going well and the things that are not working or need improvement. Once you have the feedbacks make sure to make the changes and communicate the changes to your network.

Mistakes to Avoid In Your Physician Referral Network

• Don’t ignore patient satisfaction. Remember that your business will depend on the satisfaction levels of your patient. So don’t fail to understand if your patient is satisfied with the services of the professional you referred.
• Ensure that you have all the details of the role you played in the treatment and referral of the patient. This will be highly beneficial in case of disagreement and also in analysing the procedures. If you are not maintaining proper records then it can lead you in trouble in case of problems with patients.
• If you choose wrong partners or do not communicate well with them then you may not yield the desired results.
• Also, make sure that you are not engaged in over admissions as this can result in pressure from other healthcare institutes to clean up your practice.
• Make sure that you or your network is not involved in information security breaches as that can lead you in serious trouble.

A referral network is definitely one of the best ways of expansion of business. By taking a few precautions and making the right selection can help one establish a very strong network.]]>