Kansas City, MO -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/20/2011 -- Many specialties thrive off of other doctor’s referrals; from pediatrics to urology, many practices’ revenue would shrivel if other physicians quit passing on their patients. Are you doing all you can to maximize your referral relationships?

There are a number of ways to cultivate referral relationships. First, scout out your potential partners and make sure they are in a position to refer to you (acceptance of similar insurance, no conflicting allegiances, etc.). Best impressions are made during face to face introductions. This means you can network at events, offer to take them to lunch, or make an appointment to drop by with some of your practice materials.

It’s also important to remember not to limit yourself to physicians and practices in your area. Consider surrounding suburbs and rural setups that refer patients to larger metro areas for specialty care. You should also make it a point to make it easy for patients to enter your practice through referral. Doctors will not hassle with your business if you aren’t easy to deal with. Patients should be able to get in to see you in a timely manner.

It should go without saying, but be good to your patients. If word ever got back to the referring physician that a patient she/he sent had a bad experience in your office, you would not only lose that customer and her circle of influences, but any future business from the referring doctor. If you know anything about our philosophy, you need to go beyond “being good to your patients”; they should be amazed, wowed, taken aback by the experience.

If you have existing referral relationships, go out of your way to thank them. If the relationship this far has been only to your benefit, see what you can do to give a little back. A gift card around the holidays or an unexpected edible assortment for staff goes a long way. Don’t want to spend money? A heartfelt thank you call will do. If you’re in the position to refer patients back to them, do so. Remember that a good working relationship means give and take- and if your referral source isn’t getting any thanks or benefit in return, it makes it all the easier to refer his or her patients somewhere else.

(e)Merge is a medical growth consulting firm specializing in providing innovative, patient-centric marketing initiatives and medical mystery shopping services that enhance patient experiences to increase referrals. Programs are designed to strategically achieve sustained patient volume growth for medical practices and health organizations. Visit http://www.emergewithus.com or call 816-326-8464.