Can better behavior generate revenue for your entrepreneurial medical practice or business?

I have long been a proponent of health behavior change as being a cornerstone of reducing health costs (along with eliminating waste and redundancy in the system!).

But it is a bit like trying to sell "green" in business.

Until very recently, it didn't seem that there was much profit in building a business that focused on creating "green" products and services. That all seems to have changed now - "green" is hip and hot and in --- and apparently profitable!

So what about health behavior change and disease prevention?

In an article today from HealthLeaders Media, called "The Other 'Behavioral Medicine'", author Scott MacStravic discusses the Big Four:

The four biggest behavioral problems in the population seem to be:

• dietary habits
• exercise/activity habits
• stress/time management habits
• self-care/management habits

If any one of these four sets of habits can be transformed from risks to benefits, the effects on the incidence and prevalence of disease could be dramatic. And for employers, the effects of such transformation are likely to be far more valuable than managing any single disease or injury.

So where do physicians, with their training and knowledge of health and disease, fit into this picture of transforming the habits from risks to benefits?

If, as the author argues:

Physicians tend to be the most expensive source for any proactive health role that is needed, commanding double or more what nurses require in compensation, for example. And since few are educated or trained as coaches, it is usually more practical to rely on nurses, nutritionists, fitness trainers, behavior change counselors, etc., than on physicians for most elements of the behavioral medicine intervention.

......then physicians who are passionate about health behavior change need to think carefully about their roles.

Physicians are highly credible and influential in the eyes of most patients, and can command the respect needed to alter patients' behavior. How then can they leverage that respect?

As a physician in practice, can you organize, supervise and promote a small team of health educators (nurses, dietitians, trained health coaches) to create a "wellness" service that offers anything from low priced workbooks, to medium-priced self-coaching programs with monthly "check-in" calls, to individualized one-to-one counseling and coaching packages? What would your business model and business plan for this service line look like?

How about developing an online and telephone coaching service delivered by lower-priced personnel that you personally train and oversee? You could think of ways to "productize" your knowledge and power of persuasion and sell that in the form of information products (e-books, workbooks with audio recordings, daily or weekly email tips, newsletters, video clips for visual impact).

I believe that the burgeoning healthcare costs and impending crisis will force healthcare providers and health insurers to re-evaluate how much emphasis should be placed on rewarding those physicians who choose to play an active role in promoting health behavior.

If health behavior change is your area of interest, get prepared with your unique message and your service line or products, in order to take advantage of the "Healthy Habit" wave once it hits. I suspect it will be a tsunami, when we as a society and business community finally get that investing in wellness pays.

Just look at the greenies we once snickered at!

A happy medical practice means never having to say you're sorry

Yay, another first! - I am excited to launch my first podcast, having figured out how to do it in about 40 minutes today. This techie stuff is pretty amazing, as the user interfaces have become so sophisticated that even a greenhorn like me can figure it out.

I wanted to open my "show" by sharing one of my favorite stories on a popular topic, if search engine requests are anything to go by! Concierge medicine. Only this is concierge medicine with a difference!

Dr Marty Schulman was an unhappy family physician in an academic group practice, when he paused to figure out what was wrong.

He realized he hated having to start every patient visit with an apology for being late. Or end the visit apologizing for not having enough time to discuss all the patient's concerns.

Sound familiar, anyone?

Several years later, he no longer needs to say sorry - at least not for running late or lacking time. As a solo practitioner in an innovative membership-based medical practice, he can give his patients all the time they need.

Listen to this 25-minute interview as Dr. Schulman shares the story of how he transformed himself from disgruntled doctor to enthusiastic clinician and entrepreneur.

You can download and read the transcript of this 25-minute interview here, if you prefer to read rather than listen.

And please share your thoughts about and reactions to podcasting in the comment section - I'd love to hear them!

Next week, I plan to have a podcast interview with Dr Chris Ewin, president of The Society for Innovative Medical Practice Design and owner of his own innovative practice, 1:2:1MD.

A taste of news for the entrepreneurial physician

Retail Clinics Update

Seems those retail clinics are in the spotlight again - under the watchful and suspicious eyes of doctors participating in the American Medical Association annual meeting. It appears that the promise of "seven-day a week, no-appointment necessary" care is a health hazard to society.

Now, despite the hysteria, there is no evidence that I can find to suggest that the combination of physician-supervised midlevel providers and protocols and a limited roster of medical conditions for which diagnosis and treatment is offered is dangerous to patients' health.

Come on docs - what are you afraid of?  What are you so mad about? Surely you don't need to prove your supremacy and usefulness to humankind by stamping out a movement offering convenient affordable care in a society of rising uninsureds!

Isn't it better to rise to the challenge and configure your practice services to respond to the needs of all these potential patients who, out of necessity, are seeking the sanctuary of a walk-in clinic?

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Preventive Medicine movement in the news.

Not being a weekday New York Times subscriber, I missed the full page ad taken out by US Preventive Medicine, a new, private business that plans to "work in partnership with leading health systems and physician groups around the country to form The U.S. Prevention Network™, the first national healthcare network focused exclusively on prevention. The network encompasses Centers for Preventive Medicine®, where consumers can access a comprehensive suite of clinically appropriate diagnostic tests and sophisticated imaging studies. The network will also include The Prevention Plan®, a full-service prevention program offered through employers." (from their website).

What might this mean for an entrepreneurial physician?

Again, from the website:

The Center for Preventive Medicine^® helps primary care physicians expand and enhance the care they deliver to their patients by giving them comprehensive risk assessment and health status information and recommendations obtained during a client's prevention visit. The information is organized into a take-away binder and stored electronically on a USB flash drive, called MyMedDrive™. Clients are given the opportunity to have their test results and recommendations reviewed by their personal physician.

Since at The Entrepreneurial MD, I am all about finding opportunities to grow and upgrade your practice, the following also caught my eye:

"Primary care physicians who practice in a community served by a local franchise of The Center for Preventive Medicine^® have many opportunities to develop new clients and new sources of revenue by tapping into the growing interest in the potential health benefits of preventive services.....
 

.....The Center for Preventive Medicine compensates primary care physicians at attractive rates for reviewing test results and recommendations generated from a client's prevention program. Most prevention programs offered by the Center give clients vouchers that pay their personal physicians to provide follow-up consultation and to integrate the Center's diagnoses, risk assessments, and prevention/intervention strategies with the client's ongoing care plan."

Check them out at US Preventive Health (for Physicians) - this may be a chance to engage in an aspect of medicine most primary care doctors love - finding ways to reduce the burden of disease and help patients remain healthy. And to get paid for it!

A physician shares simple low cost ways to market your practice

I'd like to continue on the marketing theme of last week by sharing an audio interview given by a practicing physician to HealthLeaders Media. To access this short interview, click here.

What I appreciated most about the conversation was the common sense approach taken to developing a marketing plan. In this short interview, Dr Neil Baum of New Orleans shares a few no- or low-cost ways in which you can actively market your practice instead of waiting for it to grow (slowly!) by word-of-mouth referral.

I like that he emphasizes how to "sculpt" your practice to attract your preferred kinds of patients, by positioning yourself as an expert in certain clinical conditions you enjoy treating, or as highly insightful about people with certain common psychological profiles (what we call "psychographics"). For example - perimenopausal women, highly stressed executive men, baby boomers wanting to stay healthy, younger patients with cancer, etc.

Here are some of the better-known strategies Dr. Baum discusses:

1. Public speaking. This doesn't have to be as overwhelming as it sounds. Once you identify where your "ideal patients" hang out, see if you can get yourself invited to give a short helpful presentation on a topic of interest to them. Local organizations that meet regularly such as Rotary Club, Kiwanis, church groups, parenting groups, Chambers of Commerce - all these provide excellent venues for getting known as both an expert and a warm and caring professional.

2. Writing. Local newspapers, magazines, "throw-away" journals are always seeking reliable good content - it makes their publishing lives a lot easier. "Top ten lists", "How to" articles, "Seven Secrets to..." are very popular and may help you get better known.

3. "Warm and caring" effective patient outreach. A personal call from a physician to a patient is often both surprising and endearing to a patient, which in turn builds great loyalty. These personal calls can be check-ins, coaching moments (inspiring the patient to achieve a goal), informational (letting them know of normal results), educational and merely relationship-building. Listen to the interview for Dr. Baum's suggestions.

4. Maintaining a clear helpful web presence. A simple easy-to-navigate and informational website can add a lot to a physician practice's credibility. Here is an example of one of my favorites - Dr. Marty Schulman's website. This website not only informs the reader about the practice philosophy but also gives the distinct sense of his personality (low key, approachable and humorous!)

What other low-cost marketing practices have worked for you? Let us know your thoughts.

Stop scratching your head - figure out how to attract the best patients or clients!

"Marketing is not something you do to people, it’s something you do for people. Marketing is the service of helping people make the best possible decision."  
— George Silverman: Author & viral marketing expert.

The truth of this quotation, and two recent events, prompted this blog post:

1. Yesterday, I gave a short presentation to my wonderful local chapter of my networking organization, The Professionals Network Group, on the power of using Marketing Syntax to communicate what it is you do, and to stand out from the competition (for a refresher on Marketing Syntax, see my March 2007 newsletter article). I was struck by how difficult it was for people in common professions, like law, to really distinguish themselves from all their colleagues and help others understand what their work accomplishes. And how it was even more challenging for people in less well-understood fields like coaching (!) and actuarial services to communicate their impact.

2. A physician client of mine expressed this morning "how hard it is to do the marketing and how much I dislike it". The refrain sounded familiar.

Who else feels this way about marketing? 

I confess that my own journey into marketing started out on rocky terrain. I felt very self-conscious and uncomfortable about "pushing my services" onto people and somehow forcing them to open their purses, against their will. At least, that was my distorted fantasy.

As my experience of coaching clients grew and I saw how much they valued the insights, accountability and "shove in the rear" that a rigorous and loving coaching relationship offers, I was free to embrace the idea that my marketing conversations were truly focused on helping others make good decisions for themselves. If they felt they'd get something from coaching and I was the right person, they'd hire me. If not, they didn't. I stopped taking it personally. The ride got a whole lot smoother!

I'm going out on a limb to hazard a pop-psychology guess that fear of marketing is really all about scarcity. A lack of belief in your unique value, a lack of belief that there is enough business for everyone, and a lack of belief that you deserve to work with only those clients or patients you enjoy.

Instead, you leave it up to fate to send in though your doors anyone and everyone - including all those whiny, demanding, or hostile people that ruin your day. Or you fail to ask for referrals from colleagues and your good customers or patients, letting them know that your work produces X, Y and Z benefits (not what YOU do or how wonderful YOU are, but how your customers are benefiting from your services). Your desperation to keep some money coming in stops you from turning away those people who sap your energy, leaving you depleted and short with everyone around you.

I am on a mission to help physicians build practices or businesses filled with wonderful patient or clients. 

This doesn't just happen. These special environments are created, one person at a time, by you getting really clear about why you are in business, learning how to communicate in simple language what is unique about your particular offering (even clinical care can be offered in a unique way!) and intentionally attracting and inviting the right people to use your services or buy your product.

Don't be baffled by marketing, and I beg of you, don't look down your nose at it. Render a real service to your prospective patients or customers - help them make good decisions about their options. And your business will flourish - sending both professional joy and money in your direction!