social media Archives - Capko & Morgan

Filling your physicians’ schedule in Q1: Five Ways (webinar)

Whether you've got the deductible reset blues or have simply resolved to keep your schedule as full as it can be in 2016, I've got some ideas to share in my new webinar, "Five Tips to Fill the Schedule in 2016." It's free (sponsored by Kareo). Some highlights of what will be covered: Reputation management -- why it's more valuable and powerful than ever, and also easier than ever; The key segment of reputation management that must be your top priority -- and most reputation management experts never even mention it; How preventive services can help you cope with the deductible reset this year -- and for years to come; How embracing technology can become its own form of (painless) marketing, even as it gives your practice other big benefits. Of course, if you sign up, you'll have access to the recording a day or two after the presentation, so don't hesitate to register even if you think you might not make it for the live presentation. (But I hope you can join us live, because I really look forward to your questions and comments.) Here is the sign-up link.

By Morgan|2022-01-01T22:51:58-08:00January 13th, 2016|

Patient use of physician ratings sites increasing — not waning

If you've been among the practice managers and physicians ignoring the 'fad' of physician ratings sites, hoping they'll just fade away eventually, there's bad news for you in last month's JAMA: more people than ever are aware of the existence of physician ratings sites. And more people than ever are using them. As has long been the trend, though, patients aren't flooding sites with rants of disgruntlement; positive views continue to heavily outweigh negative ones. The most important take-away from this new research? If you haven't started taking control of your listings on ratings sites, the time to act is now. Hiding won't help ... and taking charge is easy, once you learn a few key steps. Interested in learning more about online reputation management? I will be publishing a new Management Rx ebook on this subject in the next few weeks. To be notified (and take advantage of free review copies if you're interested), sign up here: Subscribe to the Management Rx interest list by Email

By Morgan|2014-03-24T16:37:12-08:00March 24th, 2014|

Monitor your physicians’ directory listings for accuracy
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Monitor your physicians’ directory listings for accuracy

marketing, medical practice business, reputation management, social media

Monitor your physicians’ directory listings for accuracy

We often point out to our followers how important it is to monitor your payer directories and the online physician directories aimed at consumers for accuracy. Now, from here in California, is more proof of how important it is to do so: Covered California, the state's health insurance exchange, has just disabled its provider directory because it contains too many errors. (This story from the Los Angeles Times notes some -- like listing obstetricians as ophthalmologists and wrongly denoting whether physicians are speakers of languages like Russian and Farsi.) This post is not intended to pile on about exchange and ACA (Obamacare) glitches! Rather, this move by Covered California offered an opportunity to reinforce how easy it is for incorrect information to enter a provider directory. Once incorrect information is published, it can be replicated all over the internet -- as happens especially with the physician ratings directories. (This is one more reason that Covered California did the right thing by disabling their directory until they had more confidence in its accuracy.) This problem was not caused by practice managers or physicians, but, unfortunately, it is one more thing that practices need to take some responsibility for -- lest their patients become misinformed (or unintentionally turned away, for example when a plan incorrectly lists a physician as not accepting new patients or fails to denote specialty/subspecialty properly). Practice managers: get in the habit of checking directories periodically, or assign this responsibility to a staff member. Every practice should establish a tickler to check payer directories -- at least once a year. You can tie it to contract renewal (another thing you need a tickler item for), or, better yet, find out if there is a schedule for new directories to be prepared from each of your health plans. And check your listings on online consumer directories like Google+ Local, Healthgrades and Vitals at least annually; this is a great opportunity to both correct errors and add custom information (pictures, URL, custom text) as permitted (free marketing!).

By Morgan|2022-01-01T22:52:13-08:00October 21st, 2013|

13 for 2013 Tip #12: Review your directory listings

If the doctors in your practice have been practicing for a while, odds are you've already got listings in the Vitals.com and Healthgrades.com, the largest online physician directories. However, there's no guarantee that those listings are correct -- in fact, it is not unusual for these sites to contain incorrect details such as defunct addresses and phone numbers grabbed from older public resources. The listing for one physician we worked with recently even had the medical school he attended incorrect. The good news is, it is usually easy to 'claim' your listings on these sites using their automated self-identification processes. Once you've claimed your listing, you can change all the details -- and add others that can help promote your practice, such as a photo and a link to your website. Besides checking out your physician rating site listings, the start of a new year is a great time to review your health plan directories as well. Make sure that you're listed properly in all the plans you accept -- including verifying the 'accepting new patients' information. And, don't forget to check that you've been removed from directories of plans that you've dropped -- to avoid any out-of-network surprises for patients that can turn into uncollectible bills for your practice. And don't forget about Google+ (aka Google Places) -- this easy to use listing process is a great way to get additional exposure for your practice and its website, with a link back, space for photos and the opportunity to add custom text about your practice and your philosophy. Customized listings stand out dramatically versus unedited ones -- and it's all free!

By Morgan|2022-01-01T22:52:35-08:00February 5th, 2013|

Does Satisfaction Make Patients Sick?

A recent UC Davis study revealed a surprising finding - an inverse relationship between patient satisfaction scores and health outcomes. In other words, those most satisfied with their healthcare providers were, on average, sicker and more likely to die than their less satisfied counterparts! As might be expected from these findings, healthcare costs were also higher - by about 9% - among highly satisfied patients. The study compared health outcomes and patient satisfaction scores of over fifty thousand adult respondents of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, a product of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The survey is designed to be representative of the U.S. adult population and is the most comprehensive data set of its kind. Response rates for the survey have varied between approximately 60% to 70% over the last decade. Among the possible explanations is that physicians, motivated in part by physician compensation structures that consider patient satisfaction, stray from standard treatments and instead meet patient expectations. Under this scenario, patients are satisfied because tests and procedures are viewed in a more-is-better light, but clinical outcomes suffer, e.g., patients receive treatments that carry risk as a result of false positive lab results. The trend toward elevating patient ratings in measures of quality of care are likely to continue with the Center for Medicare Services (CMS) starting this past December with its initial phase of 1% rewards or penalties for hospitals under Value Based Purchasing. One-third of the evaluation process relies on patient data, i.e., survey data. These intriguing study findings certainly call for further research to solidify our understanding of the value of patient satisfaction ratings. This study and our firm's experience especially calls into question the value of very broad measures of patient satisfaction, e.g, how satisfied are you overall, because patients are notorious for confusing bedside manner with the quality of clinical care. The implications of this study may be far reaching, but enterprising providers can take simple steps to educate their patients, preferably long before they see them in the exam room. With email and social media making communication easier and less expensive,

By Joe Capko|2013-01-24T14:40:12-08:00January 24th, 2013|

13 for 2013 Tip #4: Patient service=patient care

Physicians only need to peek at their ratings on sites like Yelp, Healthgrades and Vitals to realize the unfair truth: patients lump every aspect of their interactions with your practice into their view of your "care." Worse, at times it seems like their reviews give more weight to things like staff courtesy and billing hassles than to their clinical outcomes! The good news is, however, is that this also means that making people feel cared for is a team effort at your practice -- and that means that the burden doesn't fall entirely on the physicians' shoulders. The key, though, is to make sure the importance of patient service is understood by everyone on the team, and that everyone takes responsibility for it. Some steps in the right direction: Educate your staff about the importance of patient service, and reward them for their good work. Let them know that your practice's reputation depends on their contributions -- and that you value it! Invest in training if improvement is needed. Survey your patients. Learning what's on their minds -- before they vent on a social media site or medical directory -- will allow you to address issues before they become problems. And, some patients will perceive your service to be better simply because you took the time to ask their opinion. Strive for a personal touch. Medicine is becoming bigger and more impersonal -- and that trend is only worsening with consolidation. But, this spells opportunities for small practices to stand out! Be sure your clinical routines allow for a bit of personal interactions with patients -- even just stating the patient's name at the start of the encounter conveys a touch of caring. Bring in outside help. If you're not 100% sure of how patients view your service and care, an objective analysis can be very valuable. Contact us* if you're ready for a comprehensive, cost-effective service review and action plan. When it comes to patient service problems, and ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! *our San Francisco office works on patient service projects -- contact us via email at "info" at capko.com,

By Morgan|2022-01-01T22:52:36-08:00January 10th, 2013|

It’s back! Suppressing online reviews – the issue that won’t go away

Today's Washington Post has a story about a lawsuit by a dentist against one of its patients. The dentist had the patient to sign a "do-not-talk" contract prior to treating the patient's aching tooth, but the patient nonetheless posted a negative review on two sites when faced with an unexpected $4,000 bill. Attempting to control online reviews by contracts that squelch patient speech is an approach that is bound to backfire; patients will wonder why you feel the need to restrict their honest views and what kind of negative reactions other patients have had. Moreover, as the article pointed out: online reviews are only one tool patients can use to choose a doctor -- and only a small percentage use them doctors have many other lines of defense when bad reviews are posted -- including the courts if a review is defamatory the vast majority of reviews are positive! One website, RateMDs.com, has even started a "wall of shame" where patients can report doctors who attempt to prevent reviews by pre-emptive contract. Not the kind of publicity any practice wants! Don't let paranoia about negative reviews lead you to make this kind of mistake. Reputable physicians can use reviews to their advantage -- not just through the benefit of positive reviews, but through the opportunity to learn about (and address) customer service problems in the office that may be invisible to providers.

By Morgan|2022-01-01T22:52:40-08:00January 29th, 2012|

Before you try social media marketing, try social media

Marketing via social media has many advantages for small businesses of all types. It's a non-salesy way to connect with customers at lower out-of-pocket cost to start up than traditional advertising. No wonder so many medical practices are exploring how they can get started with social media -- and no wonder that so many 'experts' are at the ready to tell physicians how they should get started. Usually, the advice begins by offering an entry point to begin using the social web. "Start by creating a blog," the advice might read. Or, "Facebook reaches more people and it's easy to create your presence." However, what this advice sometimes fails to consider is the personal connection that is the key to social media success. Users of these networks already know what engages them and what doesn't. Non-users who jump into social media as a marketers first, though, tend to stick out like sore thumbs. It's not that there's anything that mysterious about using social media -- after all, Facebook has 700 million users precisely because it's easy to use! -- but there is a certain flow to how people use it that's important to understand. So, before you try social media as a marketing tool, try it first as a user. For example, before starting a Facebook page, set yourself up with a Facebook account, and subscribe -- i.e., 'like' -- different organizations to see how they interact with their followers. (A few examples we like in medicine: Children's Hospital Boston, MacArthur OB/GYN, Kaiser Permanente, One Medical Group.) Another way to put your toe in the water with blogging: start out as a commenter. This is a great first step for would-be bloggers -- and, in addition to building your online reputation, comments on other physicians' blogs can give you links back to your website. The range of blogs published regularly and inspiring comments is as diverse as the population of physicians: something for everyone. Some lively medical blogs you might want to check out include Dr. Wes, KevinMD, Movin' Meat, Pharmalot, Diabetes Mine, Buckeye Surgeon -- plus, we'd naturally love to have you comment

By Morgan|2022-01-01T22:52:54-08:00August 15th, 2011|

20 Minutes to Better Web Marketing

So many physicians and practice managers we talk with feel stumped by web marketing. With so many elements to consider -- your website, SEO, advertising, social media, and more -- it's no wonder it can seem overwhelming to tackle it all at once. But, the good news is, there are little things you can do to market yourself better online -- even if you don't yet have a website. One of the best, easiest, fastest ways to immediately kick your marketing up a notch: take 20 minutes to check and update your company information on four places -- Yelp, Healthgrades, Vitals and Avvo. Listings on these increasingly popular rating sites are absolutely free. In fact, in the case of Healthgrades, Vitals and Avvo, you're likely already listed, based on publicly available licensing information. By claiming your profile on these sites, you can make sure your profile is listed correctly, add phone number, and even upload a picture. If you have a website, you can add that, too. People visit these sites every day, so be sure you're showing up properly. What's more, by fleshing out your profile with your link and photo, you'll stand out versus the majority of physicians in your area, who most likely won't have taken the time to polish up their profiles. These sites also feed into Google, so confirming and updating your information will also improve the likelihood that people can find you when they search your specialty. By keeping an eye on these sites, you'll also be able to respond to any criticism from patients that deserves attention. For example, one practice we worked with recently was receiving high ratings for its doctors, but office staff were consistently rated lower for friendliness and helpfulness. The practice was able to learn from this feedback and adjust staff roles to address the issues. Yelp even allows you to respond to negative reviews on its site with a posting of your own -- which can be an opportunity to repair a relationship (or, at the very least, show other visitors that you do care about patient feedback).

By Morgan|2011-07-28T12:46:12-08:00July 28th, 2011|

The Physician as a Speaker

Physicians are accustomed to speaking in front of their peers and giving clinical presentations, but don't assume this makes you a good speaker for a general audience. Beyond practice makes perfect, here are ten tips to take to the podium: Read your audience. Using appropriate humor can: Warm up the audience; Engage the audience; and Help you relax. Stay within your comfort zone – it will expand over time Material and Style. Validate your audience: Ask a question to engage the audience – and occasionally you might say “Do you agree?” if a comment you made was general to the audience – or “I see some of you agree with me” (If you see some yes nods); Thank them for coming; abd When asked a question occasionally say “that’s a good question” and repeat the question for the audience before answering (unless the question is asked with a Mic), Modulate voice, adding emphasis when making a point. Avoid overuse of clinical slides for general audience. Tell stories – good ones not horror stories. Use lay language as much as possible. Keep it simple – leave the audience wanting more. Be yourself, but s strive for improvement - and always smile. It makes you a friend of the audience. Go for it and soon you'll be a pro! Capko & Company your resource for statregic planning, practice management and marketing.

By Judy Capko|2022-01-01T22:52:55-08:00May 25th, 2011|

A prominent hospital unveils a great social media suite

Many healthcare professionals -- hospitals and doctors in private practices alike -- are fearful about using social media to connect with their communities. Among other things, they're worried about privacy issues and regulations (e.g., HIPPA rules). Yet, with more and more patients coming onto social networks -- and, especially, using them to connect with other people who share their health concerns -- some medical professionals are beginning to realize the social media sphere deserves their attention. And, they're learning how to do it without compromising their commitment to patient privacy. A great example, courtesy of social media agency Ignite, is Children's Hospital of Boston. Not only have they created a highly customized page on Facebook, they're cross-promoting via Twitter and have a YouTube channel as well. Read the full story on Ignite's site. And they did it all while being clear and straightforward about their privacy policy and cautioning visitors that information presented on social networks in no way substitutes for medical advice. Powerful communication -- definitely worth your time to check out the article.

By Morgan|2022-01-01T22:52:56-08:00April 7th, 2011|

Have you claimed your Place on Google?

Over the past year or two, Google has increasingly emphasized local web pages in its search results -- potentially a real boon for medical practices who have amassed detailed information in Google. One of Google's primary tools in delivering local results is Google Places, a profiling system that pulls information about an organization from all over the web. Google collects information about the organization algorithmically (searching individual firm websites, plus directories for categories like doctors, dentists, lawyers, etc), but also relies on business owners themselves to verify and flesh out their Google Places profiles. What's more, besides providing the opportunity to verify your data, Google Places allows you to add custom details like a description of your organization (you can even upload video!). Best of all, Google Places profiles are not only free, they help you obtain better results from Google searches for people searching for your type of practice in your local area. Here's an example of how the Places records boost results -- note the two doctors with pink flags at the top of the search for "gastroenterologist san francisco," and how much more visible they are compared to the other listings: Clicking on the "place page" link takes you to the doctor's Places page -- which draws the practice's contact information (even providing a map), reviews and other information (including a link the the physician's profile on Vitals.com -- all the more reason to make sure that data is accurate, too!). Having this profile online can be a great boost and timesaver for your practice -- helping patients find answers to questions about your location, hours, etc., without needing to contact you. (This is particularly useful if you don't have a website.) And, if you have a website, having links back to your site from multiple places on Google can only make it easier for more people to find your site. Best of all, this opportunity is absolutely free, and really easy to take advantage of. If you haven't claimed your Google Places record, set aside some time -- just 15 or 20 minutes will be plenty to get started -- to

By Morgan|2022-01-01T22:52:56-08:00April 5th, 2011|

Google alerts: stay on top of news that matters to you

Do you know what's being said online about your practice, or your specialty? With millions of blogs, forums and websites hosting articles and discussions on every topic under the sun, it can seem impossible to keep up with (or even to find) the conversations that matter to you. Fortunately, there is a free tool that offers a simple way to stay on top of web news and discussions related to your practice: Google Alerts. Just visit google.com/alerts, enter as many search terms as you like (create a separate alert for each subject you'd like to track), select the frequency of alerts and provide your email address. Google will then email you links and article abstracts for everything published related to your keywords -- like magic! Not only will this allow you to stay on top of web topics related to your practice, it will also provide you the information you need to join the conversation. For example, if a medical blog talks about a topic related to your practice, you can visit the blog and comment -- which is also a great way to introduce you and your practice to people who may be readers of the blog, and also gives you a link back to your website.

By Morgan|2022-01-01T22:52:56-08:00March 28th, 2011|