Neil H. Baum, MD, presented “Generating Patient Referrals” for the Grand Rounds in Urology audience in August 2022.
How to cite: Baum, Neil H. “Generating Patient Referrals.” August 2022. Accessed Dec 2024. https://grandroundsinurology.com/generating-patient-referrals-2022/
Generating Patient Referrals – Summary
Grand Rounds in Urology Contributing Editor Neil H. Baum, MD, Professor of Urology at Tulane Medical School, provides thoughtful advice for generating patient referrals from physicians and non-physicians. He encourages physicians to personally meet all doctors who refer patients to the practice and recommends sharing a newsletter with referring physicians that provides up-to-date information on the practice and specializations. Dr. Baum then provides examples of personal touches that will distinguish a physician such as sending a congratulatory note for an achievement or sharing journal articles with highlights on the pertinent data. He offers a word of caution that making oneself available for referring physician calls should not come at the expense of patient exams. Dr. Baum then discusses non-physician referrals such as nurses, pharmacists, lawyers, and even barbers who can be great referral sources. Last, while gifts might be perceived as effective way to stay top of mind, they elicit less than 1% of referrals.
For more commentary on practice management from Dr. Baum, visit his Improving Your Urology Practice page.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neil H. Baum, MD, is a Clinical Professor of Urology at Tulane Medical School in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is also a retired urologic surgeon. Additionally, Dr. Baum serves as the Medical Advisor to Vanguard Communications Group. Dr. Baum is the author of Marketing Your Clinical Practice - Ethically, Effectively, and Economically, which is in its 4th edition, has sold over 175,000 copies, and has been translated into Spanish. He also wrote The Complete Business Guide to a Successful Medical Practice, which was published in 2015. Dr. Baum was the columnist for American Medical News for more than 25 years. Dr. Baum also wrote the popular column, “The Bottom Line,” for Urology Times for more than 20 years. He is a requested speaker each year to the Practice Management Seminar for the American Urological Association (AUA), where he discusses techniques for making urology practices more efficient and more productive. He has written more than 9 books on practice management and over 250 peer-reviewed articles on various urologic topics. Dr. Baum is also the medical advisor to Vanguard Communications Group.
