Bridging the Gap...How to Offer Alternative Medicine in Your Practice
A continuing series of practice management columns to educate OFP's on effective financial management.
Now what? As if increased patient demand and competition for patients isn’t enough, now many family physicians have patients coming in with their own treatment ideas. They are talking to family and friends and have been on “The Net.” They land in your office with an interest in complementary medicine.
Some of these alternative treatments may pose a threat to your practice, maybe not. Maybe it’s an opportunity for you to expand the services you offer your patients and bridge the gap. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 36 percent of American adults reported using some form of alternative medicine in a year.
Before you do anything else, you must answer the biggest question of all: “Are you committed to offering alternative medicine and is it philosophically in sync with your beliefs?”
It’s likely that you wouldn’t endorse a number of alternative treatments, but there may be some that would fit in with your practice style. If you want to add services and pump up revenue, complementary medicine may seem like a great idea.
Look before You Leap
Alternative medicine may improve your service to your patients and provide an added source of revenue. If you are one of those doctors, look before you leap.
The devil is in the detail. It is the research and an understanding of what it takes to integrate and market complementary medicine that will help you determine if this is a viable option for you.
Start with research. Begin with examining what your patients want. Find out if they are going elsewhere to get these services. Determine whether these are modalities you are capable of providing and can clinically endorse.
Conduct a study of your existing patients by developing a questionnaire for patients to complete at the time of service. You may need professional help to determine the best way to obtain a valid sampling of your patients.
Your survey should include such questions as, “Have you considered seeking alternative treatments?” If so, please circle areas of interest. Then list different modalities such as bio feedback, oriental medicine, herbal supplements, acupuncture, etc. You can further ask if they would like you to add any of these services to the practice. Finally, have a question about whether they would be willing to pay for
non-covered services.
The more information you gather, the more helpful it will be in your decision process. For example, be sure to include basic demographic questions such as how long the patient has been with the practice, their age and sex. This information will be useful when you develop your integration plan. Then you can analyze the survey results to determine if the demand is great enough for alternative care to be a viable addition to your practice.
If you decide to offer alternative medicine, you will need to look at the competition and whether they will affect your ability to attract patients. You also will need to develop a plan that covers both the business and marketing aspects of rolling out an alternative care program.
Get Answers for these Questions:
Integration and Marketing Plan
Once you answer these questions, it’s time do develop an integration and marketing plan. The integration plan will provide the action steps essential to prepare the facility, obtain clinical resources and equipment and guide staff through the transition. The marketing plan will:
As you can see, integrating alternative medicine into your practice is no small task. It’s a major decision that requires a significant investment of time and money. Your best chance of success is to turn to experts for help. Hiring a qualified healthcare management and marketing consultant will provide you with the skills and objectivity needed to guide you in making the right decisions and achieving your desired goals.