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How does E/M coding affect the financial health of your clinic? Watch this DocuTAP DataBrief to find out.

Attracting new patients can help you earn more revenue per visit. In addition to plus visits, research verifies that the average reimbursement for per visit for new patients is higher than reimbursement for established patients at every E/M code level. But attracting new patients can be a challenge, especially since going to an urgent care is not something people plan. When they need urgent care, they need it now.

Is your marketing effectively drawing in patients when they need urgent care?

The following tips will help you be sure new patients think of you when they need urgent care.

  • Memorable Signage – Many people don’t think of their storefront sign as a part of their marketing strategy, but when it comes to urgent care, your sign can be a primary reason people come to your clinic when they need to convenient care. Your sign should be easy to see and should draw enough attention that people make a mental note of your location when they drive by during their regular commute, grocery store run, or trip to the nearby big box store. It should point the way to parking and the entrance, making it as easy as possible for patients to find you when they’re looking for urgent care.
  • Free Google Business Listing – It’s free and easy to manage, so if you’re not taking advantage of your Google Business Listing you’re missing out on easy and effective marketing. Today’s healthcare consumer depends on the web to get information about your business. Google offers you the option of customizing your business listing and keeping it up-to-date. You control the message and information people see. You can list hours of operation, staff photos, a picture of your storefront, directions, and patient reviews. This convenient marketing tool offers a handy link directly to your website, leading customers right to you.
  • Mobile-Friendly Website – Not only do you need a website that’s packed with information that’s easy to read on a computer screen–although that’s pretty important. Your website must also be easy to read on any mobile device. Your patients have the power of information in their pocket, and they’re going to rely on it when they’re looking for an urgent care. Make sure they find you with a website that provides the answers they’re looking for, no matter how they search.
  • Public Relations and Outreach – So much more than press releases, public relations is—at its core—the ways you relate to the public. This includes creating news and feature stories that are of interest to your community, providing thought leadership on healthcare issues, but also reaching out to the community through networking, collaboration, and service projects. Let patients know that you have a stake in what happens in your neighborhood.

The main, if not entire point of all this marketing is to create top-of-mind awareness of your urgent care. There are many marketing tactics that reach far beyond this list and include traditional advertising, creating relevant social media content, and distribution of helpful collateral, but if people don’t know you or where to find you, you may be wasting your marketing budget. To get new patients, start with the basics.
How will these new patients affect your overall revenue?

For more urgent care-specific data, subscribe to the Urgent Care Quarterly.