Kansas City, MO -- (SBWire) -- 06/27/2011 --I recently ran across a blog by a doctor entitled, “Why I Still Make House Calls.” This MD had taken a cue from the past to create a personal touch for his practice, making just a little bit of time on two of his work days to visit immobile patients in their homes.
After a little bit of research, I realized this blogging doctor wasn’t the only one still making house calls. According to the American Academy of Home Care Physicians, Medicare reimbursed physicians for 2.3 million house calls in 2009, a half million more than in 2002. This obviously doesn’t signify a hot trend, but it does prove that house calls are far from extinct.
We found chat forums filled with questions about finding doctors who make house calls, articles giving publicity to MDs that still do, even an entire practices that specialize in house calls. North Carolina-based “Doctors Making House Calls”says they see patients five years and older. The offer is tempting: same day or next day appointments, no waiting rooms, and avoiding exposure to other sick people. Where do I sign up?
Here at (e)Merge Medical Marketing, we specialize in creating personal touches to enhance the patient experience, and always encourage doctors to keep patients at the center of care as technology, reform and pressure to meet quotas squeeze and distract them. Our Partner, Jamie Verkamp, says you don’t necessarily have to do something as involved to make an impact.
“Any way that you can personalize the healthcare experience and let the patient know how much you value them is great. It can be a smile, a handshake, an apology for their longer-than-expected wait, refreshments in the waiting room or just remembering details about their lives to ask on their next visit.”
Excel Orthopedics in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin has found lots of different ways to stay personal with their patients and community.
“From featuring their own patients in their advertising, to participating in community events, to sponsoring their area’s baseball teams, Excel has really showed they care. If more practices and hospitals could come up with ways to put personal touches into their work, we would see a level of unprecedented competition in healthcare.”
About (e)Merge
(e)Merge is a medical practice growth consulting firm specializing in providing innovative, patient-centric marketing initiatives and medical mystery shopping services that enhance patient experiences to increase referrals. For more information, call 816-326-8464 or visit http://www.emergewithus.com.
Personalized Patient Experiences: Doctors Still Make House Calls?
The surprising survival of the practice of house calls reminds us to do more for our patients.