The Marketing Benefits of an EMR Software
If you work in healthcare you’ve probably been surrounded by talk of EMR software and the associated buzz words, such as meaningful use, e-prescribing and EHR incentives. You are likely familiar with some of the oft-mentioned benefits of electronic medical records, which include improving patient care, refining workflows and reducing costs. What you may not know, however, is that an EMR system can also be a valuable marketing tool. Here are a few ways EMR can aid your marketing efforts:
Know the source of new referrals and patients. Have you noticed an influx of new patients being referred to your office from one particular provider or medical group? With electronic medical record software, you can easily bring up each new patient with a few quick clicks in order to find out who they were referred by. Building relationships with those providers can help your practice grow.
For new patients who weren’t referred by another doctor, make it a point to find out how they heard about your practice. Include this in your patient registration forms and be sure the data gets entered in your EMR where you can access it later for research and marketing purposes.
Make an informed decision about where to focus your marketing efforts. Once you know how patients are finding out about your office, you can come up with a more effective marketing plan. For example, if your practice is spending large amounts of money on radio or TV advertising, but the majority of your new patients claim to have found you online or through a friend, you can rethink your marketing campaign and devote more money to Internet resources or discounts for patients who refer a friend.
Reach patients more effectively online. Has your practice integrated a patient portal with your EMR? Doing so can have an extremely positive impact on your organization’s brand and Internet marketing strategies. Not only will it set you apart as a modern and technologically advanced practice, but it will also provide another platform through which you can market your services. Since patient portals allow for secure doctor-patient communication, you can inform patients of news, changing policies or new services right through your EMR.
Remember that EMR technologies aren’t just meant to help providers meet e-prescribing and meaningful use stage 1 requirements. If you take advantage of your software’s added marketing benefits, your practice is sure to see a greater return on investment.
