Kansas City, MO -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/22/2010 -- Business can get routine. After awhile, we quit thinking about why we do what we do. Sometimes, we can get into ruts and routines that are no longer valid or useful to our business. Medical marketing expert Jamie Verkamp says this is when we need to open ourselves back up to evaluation and possible change.

“Question everything, especially the practices that influence your patients’ experience. Is this the most convenient way to do paperwork? Do our patients feel valued and cared for when they interact with each of our staff? You would be surprised at how a small change in one of these areas can drastically improve the entire patient experience and what patients say about your practice when they leave.”

Verkamp says practices should also be curious as to how that patient opinion is shaping their public reputation. “The internet is a great place to find out what people are saying about you and your staff. Doctor rating sites and chat forums can be pulled up in a quick Google search. Sometimes you’ll like what’s being said and you can use that to confirm you’re headed in the right direction. Sometimes it’s not so pretty, but you can’t improve or change your reputation if you don’t know what’s out there.” 75% of people now use the internet to research their doctors. Verkamp says that is all the more reason to be curious about your web rep.

Verkamp says one of the most important questions you need to ask is, ‘How are our patients hearing about us?’ “We run into many practices and systems that aren’t asking vital questions, like this one. My question for them is: how will you know if your marketing efforts are working if you don’t track where your new business is coming from?”

Jamie Verkamp is Partner at (e)Merge, 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. Call 1.877.362.6584 or visit http://www.emergewithus.com.