There are many challenges that face physicians looking to enter into private practice: upfront cost of equipment needed to perform in-office procedures, lack of negotiating power with vendors and payors and balancing work and home life. Perhaps the most important part of starting a private practice is building patient volume, and in a pain management practice, much of that will come from referrals.
Three years ago, Scott Gottlieb, MD, currently the director of Pain Medicine at Manhattan's New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, decided to enter into private practice in Montebello, NY. Prior to starting his own practice, Dr. Gottlieb worked for an anesthesia group in New Jersey.
Dr. Gottlieb says starting a private practice is a challenging but worthwhile venture. He offers three proven ways to grow a practice's referral base — an essential piece to any successful pain practice.
1. Get to know area physicians. Dr. Gottlieb says this was the hardest thing for him to do when he first started, but he quickly learned that the best thing to do is to meet with physicians face-to-face. When reaching out to physicians, Dr. Gottlieb met with internal medicine physicians, neurologists, orthopedists, rheumatologists, chiropractors, primary care physicians and family practice physicians.
"Maintaining those relationships with other physicians for referrals is the lifeline of your practice," he says. "It's about letting the physicians know what services you provide and establishing that relationship and letting them know that you'll take care of their patients."
When he first started his practice, Dr. Gottlieb would meet at least one physician a day. He says he would go and sit in their waiting rooms until he could meet with them. Sometimes the meetings were nothing more than a quick greeting and handshake, but sometimes meetings lasted up to an hour. These meetings eventually converted into patient referrals.
"The most successful aspect of developing my practice was just getting out there and meeting the physicians," he says.
That communication doesn't end after the referral, Dr. Gottlieb says. After seeing referred patients, he sends his consultation notes to the referring physician as well as calls that physician with patient updates. As his patient volume has grown, Dr. Gottlieb says this step is harder than it was when he started, but it's one of the most important things he does.
2. Make yourself available. Dr. Gottlieb says one of the main differences in pain management is you're dealing with patients in pain and who are usually uncomfortable, so it's even more important to see them in a speedy manner. Dr. Gottlieb tries to see acute patients the same day, and within one week for other patients. He achieves this by coming in early and staying late if need be.
"One thing that no referring physician wants to hear is that their patient had to wait a month or two to be seen," he says. "That's not good patient care."
3. Satisfied patients will spread the word. Dr. Gottlieb says when his practice first started his patient volume was almost 100 percent physician referrals. Now, however, about half of his practice volume comes from word of mouth.
"By providing good service, your patients are going to talk to their physicians and their friends," he says. "Word of mouth is going to help."
Even though he didn't specifically reach out to physical therapists for referrals, he now receives referrals from them because word of mouth has generated interest in the practice over the past three years.
Related Articles on Pain Management:
NIH Announces Members of Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee
The Future of Evidence-Based Medicine in Pain Management: Q&A With Dr. Laxmaiah Manchikanti of the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians
FDA Approves Medasys Implantable Programmable Drug Pump for Pain Management
Three years ago, Scott Gottlieb, MD, currently the director of Pain Medicine at Manhattan's New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, decided to enter into private practice in Montebello, NY. Prior to starting his own practice, Dr. Gottlieb worked for an anesthesia group in New Jersey.
Dr. Gottlieb says starting a private practice is a challenging but worthwhile venture. He offers three proven ways to grow a practice's referral base — an essential piece to any successful pain practice.
1. Get to know area physicians. Dr. Gottlieb says this was the hardest thing for him to do when he first started, but he quickly learned that the best thing to do is to meet with physicians face-to-face. When reaching out to physicians, Dr. Gottlieb met with internal medicine physicians, neurologists, orthopedists, rheumatologists, chiropractors, primary care physicians and family practice physicians.
"Maintaining those relationships with other physicians for referrals is the lifeline of your practice," he says. "It's about letting the physicians know what services you provide and establishing that relationship and letting them know that you'll take care of their patients."
When he first started his practice, Dr. Gottlieb would meet at least one physician a day. He says he would go and sit in their waiting rooms until he could meet with them. Sometimes the meetings were nothing more than a quick greeting and handshake, but sometimes meetings lasted up to an hour. These meetings eventually converted into patient referrals.
"The most successful aspect of developing my practice was just getting out there and meeting the physicians," he says.
That communication doesn't end after the referral, Dr. Gottlieb says. After seeing referred patients, he sends his consultation notes to the referring physician as well as calls that physician with patient updates. As his patient volume has grown, Dr. Gottlieb says this step is harder than it was when he started, but it's one of the most important things he does.
2. Make yourself available. Dr. Gottlieb says one of the main differences in pain management is you're dealing with patients in pain and who are usually uncomfortable, so it's even more important to see them in a speedy manner. Dr. Gottlieb tries to see acute patients the same day, and within one week for other patients. He achieves this by coming in early and staying late if need be.
"One thing that no referring physician wants to hear is that their patient had to wait a month or two to be seen," he says. "That's not good patient care."
3. Satisfied patients will spread the word. Dr. Gottlieb says when his practice first started his patient volume was almost 100 percent physician referrals. Now, however, about half of his practice volume comes from word of mouth.
"By providing good service, your patients are going to talk to their physicians and their friends," he says. "Word of mouth is going to help."
Even though he didn't specifically reach out to physical therapists for referrals, he now receives referrals from them because word of mouth has generated interest in the practice over the past three years.
Related Articles on Pain Management:
NIH Announces Members of Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee
The Future of Evidence-Based Medicine in Pain Management: Q&A With Dr. Laxmaiah Manchikanti of the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians
FDA Approves Medasys Implantable Programmable Drug Pump for Pain Management