Medical registration as one of the most important element in medical marketing – MEDICAL MARKETING

Medical registration as one of the most important element in medical marketing – MEDICAL MARKETING

Probably many people are thinking now: what does registration for marketing have? Well, it has a lot! Unfortunately, it is often underestimated by the management of the medical entity as well as by other staff, sometimes also by patients. Fortunately, the approach is slowly changing and medical registrars (or registrars, but this profession is strongly feminized) are beginning to be appreciated. It is important to realize that the profession of a medical registrar has changed significantly over the years. It used to be registering patients for medical appointments in the traditional calendar, preparing a card, providing information about doctor’s office hours and basically that’s it. Currently, a medical recorder is an extensive position. Today, she has to work in an IT system, which is sometimes complicated, is responsible for the circulation of medical documents, as well as for ensuring that everything is in accordance with the contract with the National Health Fund. In addition, it issues invoices, has financial responsibility and much more. And there are more and more of these tasks each year …

Registration is the first contact of a patient with a medical entity

This is the first reason why efficient registration at the clinic is so important. There is a reason it is said that the first impression is the most important. This principle also works in this case. If the patient meets a medical recorder who will greet him with a smile, explain everything with patience and calmness and answer all the patient’s questions – the patient will surely come out happy and will gladly come back to us. Registration is a showcase of the facility that should be taken care of.

The appearance of the staff

It’s no secret that appearance is important. Not the most important, but very important. Therefore, registrars should be neatly dressed and uniformly in accordance with the general visualization of the facility. Delicate makeup, well-groomed hands (in delicate light colors) and tied hair are an indispensable element of the appearance of a medical recorder. It is worth choosing professional aprons and shirts with the logo of a medical entity.

Friendly atmosphere, personal culture

It should be remembered that people serving patients should maintain good manners and be friendly to patients who are often nervous. The patient should feel cared for from the very beginning of the visit to a medical facility.

Appreciating registrars

Another issue is appreciating the registers. Unfortunately, it often happens that registrars are treated as “less important” staff, despite being so important for the efficient operation of a medical facility. It is worth taking care of a lawyer and appreciating. The constant rotation of employees will not help in building a friendly and helpful team.

Training registrars to advise patients and inform them about promotional campaigns, etc., collect e-mails for the newsletter, etc.

The last aspect that I will mention is, of course, the constant desire for development and training. It should be remembered that the medical registration should be informed about what is currently happening in the medical facility. The reception desk should always be a source of information, especially for patients. It is also worth focusing on soft skills training, as well as on team integration.

10 elements that must appear on the website of your medical facility

10 elements that must appear on the website of your medical facility

You open your own medical, dietary physiotherapeutic office, clinic, medical practice and set up or commission a website to be your business card on the Internet. You ask yourself a million questions, and one of the first is what should I put on the website, what information, elements? What is important on the website of the medical facility? Below are 10 elements and information that must be included on the website of your medical facility.

 

  1. Name and logo

The first element is of course the name and logo of the medical facility. This is an obvious matter, but it is worth ensuring that the patient entering your website immediately associates and knows that exactly this site belongs to you. These two elements should be properly displayed on the website and their quality should be ensured, which is why I recommend professional visual identification. Here you have two options:

– you use free logotype generators or you use a simple free graphic program, e.g. Canva (I will write a separate post about this program) – it is worth remembering here to choose the right logotype format so that it is of good quality to avoid the so-called pixelation;

– you outsource the logotype to a professional graphic designer, which of course comes with costs, you have to answer the question what your budget is and how you assess your graphic skills, rates for logos are very different.

 

  1. Contact

This is another basic information that should be on the website. Nothing irritates the patient more than the difficulty of finding basic contact information, such as:

– Phone number

– e-mail address

– detailed address with information on how to get there and parking possibilities

– contact via social media (facebook, famous doctor, etc.)

– possibly a contact form,

The above information should be the easiest to find by the patient, the longer he will look for contact information, the greater the chance that he will resign from the service in your facility. Also, make sure that all communication channels have efficient communication (e.g. efficient reply to e-mails, quick phone answering).

 

  1. Payment methods, contracts with the sickness fund and private insurers

The patient should be able to find information on Payment methods. So can he pay with a payment card or cash. Both sides will be annoyed if the patient has no cash but only a payment card that is not accepted in your office. It is worth placing such information to avoid similar situations. You should also include information about whether your services are completely private or you have a contract with the health insurance fund. If so, provide accurate instructions for admitting patients under your health insurance policy. Maybe you also have contracts with health insurers? This should also be accurately described on the website so that the patient has full information about how they can use your services.

 

  1. Methods of arranging appointments, e.g. online registration

This is a very important element! If possible, arrange several options to arrange a service at your medical facility. Here are 3 basic methods for registering patients for visits:

– Telephone

– by email

– online registration.

Online registration is very convenient and quick, which is why I encourage you to introduce this registration method to your office (online registration will also be a separate post).

 

  1. Reception hours

It is important to remember that party hours on the website are always up to date!

 

  1. Staff description

Every patient must know who will provide him with medical services. A description of the competence should be provided about each person (preferably with a professional photo). This is the most important thing for medical personnel, for all other team members, all they need is their name, photo, job title with task list and contact.

 

  1. Description of services, offers

Each service / offer we offer should be accurately described on the website. The patient wants to know exactly what the place offers him.

 

  1. Pricing

The price list is a reference to the previous point. The price list on the websites is always welcome.

 

  1. News, i.e. vacation information etc.

You should always post information on the website if, for example, the doctor is on vacation or important other situations affecting the work of the facility take place.

 

  1. Social media, opinions

If we have accounts on social media (which I highly recommend), you should also inform about this fact and encourage to contact and leave opinions about our facility through this type of portals. Opinions are extremely important because they build our PR. It is worth showing that patients are satisfied with our services and willingly recommend us.

 

I hope I was introducing the topic of website content. If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact us at publichealthandmarketing@gmail.com or via FB.

How do you choose a good name for your medical activity?

How do you choose a good name for your medical activity?

Coming up with a name for your business / activity is usually a hard nut to crack. It involves many doubts and dilemmas. What name to come up with? Which will be catchy? Will this for sure everyone like? Is it original? Is it short? (They always say it is) … Lots of questions! How not to get lost in it? On the Internet, thousands of guides and articles on how to choose the perfect name! And that way we’re getiing already stupid because of such an excess of information.

Everyone who starts his own business or blog, starts it with a name. This is the foundation of every company! And there is no need to cheat yourself – there’s no way without it. How to buy a domain? How to act without a name? Well, there is no option! In this post I will try to dispel doubts, but I would like to point out that these are my thoughts resulting from experience. Perhaps some of these advices will not be “professional” or “competent.” But in my opinion it is difficult to match the task of inventing a name to specific rigid rules, after all this is a CREATIVE task! And sometimes a name that is against any rules may turn out to be a complete hit.

And now it’s time for specifics!

Check the free website domain

This is the only rule that I will always insist that you must apply. Failure to verify the potential entity’s name as a free website domain is a common mistake, especially among people who do not have experience with marketing or do not use the services of professionals. Only few realize how important the domain is. The domain is nowadays an inseparable part of business due to the fact that every company has or at least should have its own website. Such are the times we have. Therefore, before we make a decision about choosing a name – let’s check the website domain!

How to check it the easiest way? Go to the website of the website selling the domain, for example: nazwa.pl, home.pl, etc. and enter your name. In a fraction of a second you’ll get the answer which domains are free. When choosing a domain, you can also use a short version of our original name.

Look for competition

It sounds not very good. But what’s the matter? That the name we invented should be checked if it simply is not a duplicate in the world. Enter your potential business name in Google search. In addition, it is also worth checking in social media whether someone does not have a profile under this name, for example on Facebook. There is nothing worse than a duplicate name. Especially if a competitor offers the same or similar services.

Above I described two most important rules to keep in mind! However, how do you decide on the selection of a particular name?

Write down the words – keys

Just it! List all the words that describe your business and its values. Perhaps one of them will turn out to be THE name! Or a combination of 2 or 3 selected words. There is an additional bonus for this activity – we will get a vision! Yes! Such a task will cause us a whole storm of ideas, our dormant creativity will be in a full force, which results in a perfect idea for the name. And that’s what we need.

Name your business description

A good name is one that immediately tells the recipient what product or service they are dealing with. That is why it is sometimes worth giving up a very original name in favor of a simpler, but immediately telling recipient who we are, what we do and offer.

Polish or English name?

So many people have so many opinions on this subject. And the answer is still: it depends. There is no recipe for this dilemma. For sure, if we want to go beyond the Polish market, the name in English seems to be obligatory. However, if we do not go beyond the border of the country, things get a bit complicated. For sure, if we want to cooperate with companies, create a product or service for them, it is worth thinking of a business client and thus creating a name in English. If our client is an individual person, it is better to put our mother tongue on it again.

Get some sleep

Sleep is a medicine for everything. I can acknowledge this statement with both hands! I do not know about you, but the best ideas come to me during my sleep, that’s why I always try to have something nearby, to be able to save my creative vision right away, for example a telephone. And if I already have an idea, I always try to re-confirm in my sleep, whether it is something I need, or should I continue to be keep searching. There is no need to do that in a rush. PEACEFULLNESS is recommended here.

Feel it

The most important of my advice! With the name it’s a bit like with love. In love, you are never sure that you are making the right decision, but still YOU FEEL that you’re doing right. You just feel that and that’s it. In my opinion it is identical to the name. Either you feel it is THE ONE or you do not. Short play. You probably now think that it’s easy to talk. But I am sure that if you feel that this is THE name (of course, sticking to the first two rules: Check the domain and Search for competition) you will be 100% satisfied, and the idea will turn out to be a hit! However, what to do if we cannot feel it? Give yourself some time. Sometimes the best ideas come at the least expected moment, for example, when traveling by bus or train (yes, this is the best place for all meditation) or, for example, at the gym (I also often find that physical activity is in my opinion a quiet friend of creativity).

Do not overdo it

Here the rule works – less is more. It is better to bet on a simpler name, but clear and memorable, than on a name that will not tell anyone anything, or associate with anything. On the Internet, we can find many free name generators. This is also an idea, maybe it will help a little.

Summary

Always remember to check your free domain and social media accounts. Say NO to the duplicate names. Try to be original, but not at any price. But above all, keep calm and feel that you are fully convinced by that name.

Good luck! Do you want to talk about your idea for a name? I invite you to contact me.

Marketing strategies

Marketing strategies

While developing a marketing plan, you should analyze how to achieve your goals and ideas and that is called a marketing strategy. Strategy is a “game plan” in a different way, thanks to which you know how to carry out your intentions and activities related to company marketing.

 

The word “Strategy” comes from the Greek language and initially represented the art of a command, the direction of armed forces during the war. Today, the strategy is used in various fields, e.g. in marketing, and it is defined as follows: “Strategy is acting in accordance with the superior viewpoint with constant observation of constantly changing conditions”.

 

Porter divided the strategies into three main types:

  • cost leadership (maximum cost reduction, thereby lowering the price and at the same time having an advantage over the competition);
  • diversification (the organization focuses on achieving better results in one selected area, which will be beneficial to the client, directing all of its attention to this area);
  • concentration (the subject of the therapeutic activity chooses one narrow segment of the market, gaining comprehensive knowledge about it and then makes decisions about the choice of the strategy of cost leadership or differentiation).

SOURCES:

  1. Nowotarska-Romaniak B., 2002. Marketing usług zdrowotnych. Kraków: Kantor Wydawniczy Zakamycze
  2. Drobnik J., Kollbek P., Witczak I., Nowicki P., Jadach R., 2008. Funkcja analityczna marketingu. W: Drobnik J. (red.), Nowicki P. (red.), 2008. Wybrane zagadnienia zdrowia publicznego. T.3: Marketing i negocjacje na rynku usług medycznych. Wrocław: Wydawnictwo Continuo

Marketing and strategic planning in medical activity subject

Marketing and strategic planning in medical activity subject

In order to implement a good, comprehensive marketing in a healthcare provider, you should start with a proper planning as well as choosing the right strategy. Planning will allow for a precise distribution of activities, while the strategy will help you to choose how to implement the intended plan of all objectives and tasks. Without a good and well thought out plan, you cannot create and implement a good marketing.

The goal and mission of the company

Marketing planning should start with the identification of the company’s goal and mission. Any organization planning to use marketing should take this step. You should first answer the question: why does this organization exist? The answer to this question defines the reason for the existence of the company on the market and its goals (e.g. providing medical services). The next step is to identify the company’s mission. In this case it’s worth using Peter Drucker’s auxiliary questions: “What do we do? Who is our client? What values ​​are valuable to our client? What will we deal with? What should we do? ” Thanks to the answers to the above questions, the mission of the subject of therapeutic activity can be created without any problem. These questions are an excellent auxiliary tool in defining the missions of an entity, for example a clinic; they should be taken into account.

Strategic planning – defining the company

Strategic planning consists of many elements that should be considered as priorities. The first one is defining a company that consists of the following components:

  • history of goals, policies and achievements;
  • current preferences of owners and management board (it is extremely important to establish a common position regarding the vision of the subject of therapeutic activity with the participation of all persons who make managerial decisions);
  • market environment;
  • resources: material, immaterial;
  • competences (which distinguish the individual from the others, something that achieves a competitive advantage).

Customer identification

The next step should be to identify customers. It involves determining certain characteristics of consumers, that is who they are, where they are and what characterizes them. The described activity will allow adjusting the organization’s activities to clients and their needs, which is very important. After all, someone has to use the services offered by the company, in addition, customers are the most important link in the organization.

Determination of the value of services offered

It is also important to determine the value of the services offered. In order to estimate the value of services, one should take into account the costs incurred in providing the service (including those related to, among others, materials supply, operation, technology, logistics, service, infrastructure), its quality and location. The analysis of these three elements will allow to create a preliminary vision of the performed service’s value, adapted to the market and clients.

Setting goals

Another issue in strategic planning is setting goals by the organization. The organization should know what it is aiming at, what it wants to achieve, what its purpose is.

Summary

After going through all the above-described stages, we have chosen marketing strategy as well as a summary of all the above analyzes in the marketing plan, that is in the document in which the analysis and intended actions will be described and presented. The figure below presents the necessary elements of the marketing plan. It is also worth mentioning that the marketing plan itself is included in the development cycle, the scheme of which is outlined in the figure below.

SOURCES:

  1. Nowotarska-Romaniak B., 2002. Marketing usług zdrowotnych. Kraków: Kantor Wydawniczy Zakamycze
  2. Drobnik J., Kollbek P., Witczak I., Nowicki P., Jadach R., 2008. Funkcja analityczna marketingu. W: Drobnik J. (red.), Nowicki P. (red.), 2008. Wybrane zagadnienia zdrowia publicznego. T.3: Marketing i negocjacje na rynku usług medycznych. Wrocław: Wydawnictwo Continuo
Marketing environment of the subject of therapeutic activity

Marketing environment of the subject of therapeutic activity

Philip Kotler defines the marketing environment as a “set of external actors and forces which affect the company’s capabilities, development and maintenance of successful transactions with buyers”. The marketing environment can be divided into two categories: macro-environment and micro- environment.

Macro- environment represents the factors on which the institution has no direct influence, such as: government policy, economics (rate of economic growth, income level, economic policy of the state), socio-culture, technology development, demographic and natural factors (size and density of population, age and gender structure, structure of education), legal factors, local policy, natural factors (climate, natural resources).

 

The micro – environment, that is, the immediate environment of the subject of therapeutic activity that affects the organization, consists of such elements as, among others suppliers (e.g. power supplier, medical equipment, laboratory, other service providers), intermediaries, competitors, patients, institutions.

It is important for the institution to be aware of its environment and of how it affects the functioning of the organization and its position on the market.

SOURCES:

  1. Nowotarska-Romaniak B., 2002. Marketing usług zdrowotnych. Kraków: Kantor Wydawniczy Zakamycze
  2. Drobnik J., Kollbek P., Witczak I., Nowicki P., Jadach R., 2008. Funkcja analityczna marketingu. W: Drobnik J. (red.), Nowicki P. (red.), 2008. Wybrane zagadnienia zdrowia publicznego. T.3: Marketing i negocjacje na rynku usług medycznych. Wrocław: Wydawnictwo Continuo

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