Attracting patients, appropriately.
WHAT CONSTRAINS IT
Professional regulation on advertising by practitioners.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH FIRST
What the relevant council permits.
WHY
Breaching advertising rules is a professional disciplinary matter.
WHAT IS GENERALLY ACCEPTABLE
Factual information about services, location, hours and practitioners' qualifications.
WHAT IS GENERALLY NOT
Claims of superiority Guarantees of outcome Testimonials about clinical results, in many jurisdictions Soliciting in ways the council prohibits
WHAT ACTUALLY DRIVES PATIENT VOLUME
Referral from other practitioners Word of mouth Location and visibility Being findable when someone searches
WHY PRACTITIONER REFERRAL MATTERS MOST FOR SPECIALIST SERVICES
Patients follow their clinician's recommendation.
WHAT BUILDS IT
Reliable service Prompt communication back to the referrer Not attempting to retain their patients
WHY THAT LAST POINT
It ends referral relationships permanently.
WHAT TO PROVIDE REFERRERS
Timely reports A route to discuss cases Reliable turnaround
WHAT TO ENSURE ONLINE
Accurate information: services, hours, location, contact
Presence on the platforms people use to find facilities
WHAT TO RESPOND TO
Reviews, carefully and without disclosing anything about the patient.
WHY CAREFULLY
Responding to a review can breach confidentiality.
WHAT TO SAY INSTEAD
A general response inviting direct contact.
