Factors Important for Growing a Pediatric Practice

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, 87% of all pediatric visits are conducted in

private practices. Needless to say, there is a multitude of pediatric practices across the nation–

all of which are actively trying to grow and expand their patient pool. With a fair amount of

competition existing already, it is important to take note of specific factors that can help your

practice flourish. These factors can benefit the reputation and success of your pediatric private

practice.

Reputation

One of the most important factors for expanding a pediatric practice is the reputation of the

practice’s physicians, nurses, medical staff, and performance in general. Bedside manner is

extremely important, especially in pediatrics, because parents only want professionals with

whom their children feel comfortable. High quality bedside manner as well as an overall

pleasing atmosphere to the practice will lead parents to give good reviews to the people they

know as well as on online medical review websites. Your practice’s word-of- mouth reputation as

well as its online reputation are extremely important in terms of attracting new patients and

gaining multiple referrals from current patients.

Location

The location of a pediatric practice plays a big role in the growth and development of that

practice. Pediatric practices situated in plain sight on busier streets are much more likely to

thrive than those situated off of an abandoned dirt road. Parents do not want to drive to

Timbuktu in order to get their child to a medical appointment. They instead prefer practices in an

optimal location within their current community. Thus, location is a major factor in the growth of

the practice and should be treated as such. Also, once you have found the best location for your

practice, please make sure that the sign for your practice is big enough to see clearly from the

street. A simple task, but you would be surprised how many times it is overlooked.

Hours of Availability

The number of hours and days on which your practice is open can play a large role in

determining the growth rate for your business. Parents with busy work schedules will appreciate

the flexibility of an office that provides night and weekend hours. Offering this versatility of hours

and schedules for your pediatric offices will allow them to grow by attracting more parents to the

practice.

Electronic Medical Records

In the age of the computer, it has become increasingly important to optimize processes through

the use of technology. In terms of a pediatric practice, this optimization can occur with the use of

an electronic medical record system. Using an EMR in place of paper charts will make your

practice more efficient and keep your patient data more secure. Efficiency and security are two

things highly scrutinized in a pediatric practice by potential parents. By maximizing these two

factors, you can obtain more patients to expand your practice.

Patient Portal

Patient portals are a streamlined application that typically allow patients to directly contact the

practice, schedule appointments, cancel appointments, receive appointment reminders, and ask

questions. Making this resource available to patients in your practice can add to the list on

benefits that you provide to them.

Community Involvement

Becoming an active part of the community is very important for the success of a pediatric

practice because this connection can promote your practice to more and more families. Taking

part in charitable organizations, fundraisers, fairs, etc. can build the rapport your practice has

with the people living in the area. Creating a better “family-feel” to your practice will only improve

how potential patients and parents see you.

Advertise

It is important to get the name of your practice out in the world for everyone and their mother

(literally) to see. The more people see your practice, the more likely they will be to call for a

consult or consider you as an option to treat their children. Tangible ads, such as billboards,

newspaper spaces, flyers, or mail can be effective, but in this era, the internet is your most

powerful tool. Purchasing ad space on sites that potential parents of your practice would most

likely visit can put your name out to the right audience.

Social Media

Adding on to the topic of internet advertisements, social media can be a powerful tool for

growing your practice as well. Social media is also a way to spread the word about your

practice, but in a fashion much more enticing than simple ads. Creating a Facebook or Twitter

account for your practice can create a more personal feel to your practice. Keeping these pages

updated with practice news or events can garner the interest of many potential parents who are

engaged on these social networking sites.

In closing, there can be many more factors that influence the successful growth of pediatric

practices, but the ones discussed above are the major aspects. Investing the time into these

factors can truly help a practice’s growth and success for the long run.