Great strategy guides have been created for increasing patient referrals to new and growing diagnostic imaging centers, but much less is written about strategies for diagnostic patient retention.
Focusing only on marketing your imaging center to gain new patients may mean failing to nurture existing patients, which can hinder your efforts to build your imaging center’s reputation. And a good reputation is key to gaining new diagnostics patients and growing your imaging center overall.
Patients who slip through the cracks may suffer negative consequences of disrupted care, while your center loses the rewards of all the hard work that has gone into your outreach and reputation-building efforts.
Thankfully, there are many ways to keep your patients engaged with your imaging center, and they won’t break your bank. If you set them up carefully, many can even be automated!
Increase your patient retention by staying connected.
Asking patients for feedback is a great way to stay connected, get more online reviews, and pinpoint how to improve your patient experience.
Quality Care is the first step to increase patient retention for an imaging center
This one may seem obvious, but are you going about this with the right mindset?
You take pride in your staff’s training and dedication to current best practices, as well as the safety and rigor of the technologies they use. However, other metrics of quality may be an even more effective method to increase patient retention for an imaging center.
The patient’s understanding of their care and active engagement in decision making, the perceived goodwill of the staff, and ease of appointment making are just a few facets of patient experience that can make or break a patient’s relationship with your center.
Ensure that your diagnostic patients understand their exams
Although it is easy to assume that smiling, nodding patients understand what your staff is telling them, this is often not the case.
How can you help imaging patients play an active role in decisions about their health?
Consider asking the patient open-ended questions to encourage them to describe in their own words what you have discussed so that you can check for understanding.
Motivational Interviewing is a well-researched set of principles and tools that can help healthcare providers to avoid taking a paternalistic role with their patients, as this can result in the power struggles and ambivalence that lead to no-show’s as well as poor adherence to recommendations and follow-ups. Instead, these simple but powerful techniques help you to take on a collaborative partnership with your patients to keep them engaged.
Empowering your imaging patients to understand and take part in their health care will result in positive outcomes, including patient satisfaction and an increase in patient retention for an imaging center.
Retaining imaging patients by training your staff in rapport-building
Every staff member has an impact on how patients will perceive any outpatient imaging center as a whole. We also know that patients who think the staff and providers are “nice” will be more likely to come back. What might not be so obvious is how, exactly, to accomplish this, particularly in the face of time limitations or patient complaints.
Integrating warmth and continued connection with the patient into your center’s processes is one of the best ideas for patient retention. It turns out it’s the little things that make a big difference. Multiple studies have shown that small touches such as mailing patients postcards and letters can actually reduce suicide attempts. This highlights just how powerful small kindnesses can be.
Keep in touch with your patients, for example by mailing birthday or holiday cards. Not only does keeping in touch with your patients show them that you care, it can also help remind them to take stock of their health, which could mean coming in for a follow-up.
Many times it’s the little things that people remember. If you’re struggling with how to keep radiology patients happy, don’t overlook the details.
Retaining imaging patients means giving your patients resources that matter to them
When considering strategies for patient retention, providing valueto your patients is crucial. And we’re not just talking about a low price here. Help your patients make the most of their time with you, as well as the interactions you have with them outside your imaging facility.
Schedule quickly to help your patients to keep their appointments.
A large study of 54,652 radiology exam appointments showed that no-shows were more frequent if there were more days between the appointment and the day it was scheduled. Not surprisingly, patients who had missed appointments in the past were also at higher risk for missing them again. Get patients scheduled as quickly as possible, and use reminders to help patients remember their appointments. If a patient has no-showed previously, consider using multiple reminders to assist them.
Stay connected with your patients through radiology email marketing
Radiology patient retention can benefit from some of the same automated email strategies that help other businesses. These may include:
Emails welcoming them to the imaging center
Emails providing requested content
Example: A potential patient enters their email address into your center’s website so that they can receive an e-brochure on screening recommendations for their age group
Emails that invite the patient to get to know the center better. This could be an invitation to like or follow your facility on social media, or an invitation to a community event the center is hosting or sponsoring.
Emails that ask the patient questions that would help to inform your patient care and/or marketing strategies and help the patient to feel heard and valued
Example: A patient satisfaction survey after an appointment visit
Example: Asking patients what their biggest concern is about a particular imaging exam
Emails that ask the patient to review your center online (e.g., on Yelp, etc.)
Although positive reviews will help you to engage new patients, writing reviews on your behalf may also help your patients to be even more committed to your center!
Newsletter emails
Example: Patient stories about how your center has helped them, news about how the center is improving and growing, information about how your center helps the local community
These strategies for diagnostic patient retention will lead your facility to success
There are a wealth of strategies for diagnostic patient retention, both human-centered and technology-assisted, that can help you make sure you keep your patients happy.
These retention tools require some investment or training up front but can become an automatic part of your imaging center’s daily routines. Not only will they help you with patient retention, but they also help to foster a positive workplace culture at your radiology center!
Growing your imaging center doesn’t have to be hard!
Great strategy guides have been created for increasing patient referrals to new and growing diagnostic imaging centers, but much less is written about strategies for diagnostic patient retention.
Focusing only on marketing your imaging center to gain new patients may mean failing to nurture existing patients, which can hinder your efforts to build your imaging center’s reputation. And a good reputation is key to gaining new diagnostics patients and growing your imaging center overall.
Patients who slip through the cracks may suffer negative consequences of disrupted care, while your center loses the rewards of all the hard work that has gone into your outreach and reputation-building efforts.
Thankfully, there are many ways to keep your patients engaged with your imaging center, and they won’t break your bank. If you set them up carefully, many can even be automated!
Increase your patient retention by staying connected.
Asking patients for feedback is a great way to stay connected, get more online reviews, and pinpoint how to improve your patient experience.
Quality Care is the first step to increase patient retention for an imaging center
This one may seem obvious, but are you going about this with the right mindset?
You take pride in your staff’s training and dedication to current best practices, as well as the safety and rigor of the technologies they use. However, other metrics of quality may be an even more effective method to increase patient retention for an imaging center.
The patient’s understanding of their care and active engagement in decision making, the perceived goodwill of the staff, and ease of appointment making are just a few facets of patient experience that can make or break a patient’s relationship with your center.
Ensure that your diagnostic patients understand their exams
Although it is easy to assume that smiling, nodding patients understand what your staff is telling them, this is often not the case.
How can you help imaging patients play an active role in decisions about their health?
Consider asking the patient open-ended questions to encourage them to describe in their own words what you have discussed so that you can check for understanding.
Motivational Interviewing is a well-researched set of principles and tools that can help healthcare providers to avoid taking a paternalistic role with their patients, as this can result in the power struggles and ambivalence that lead to no-show’s as well as poor adherence to recommendations and follow-ups. Instead, these simple but powerful techniques help you to take on a collaborative partnership with your patients to keep them engaged.
Empowering your imaging patients to understand and take part in their health care will result in positive outcomes, including patient satisfaction and an increase in patient retention for an imaging center.
Retaining imaging patients by training your staff in rapport-building
Every staff member has an impact on how patients will perceive any outpatient imaging center as a whole. We also know that patients who think the staff and providers are “nice” will be more likely to come back. What might not be so obvious is how, exactly, to accomplish this, particularly in the face of time limitations or patient complaints.
Integrating warmth and continued connection with the patient into your center’s processes is one of the best ideas for patient retention. It turns out it’s the little things that make a big difference. Multiple studies have shown that small touches such as mailing patients postcards and letters can actually reduce suicide attempts. This highlights just how powerful small kindnesses can be.
Keep in touch with your patients, for example by mailing birthday or holiday cards. Not only does keeping in touch with your patients show them that you care, it can also help remind them to take stock of their health, which could mean coming in for a follow-up.
Many times it’s the little things that people remember. If you’re struggling with how to keep radiology patients happy, don’t overlook the details.
Retaining imaging patients means giving your patients resources that matter to them
When considering strategies for patient retention, providing valueto your patients is crucial. And we’re not just talking about a low price here. Help your patients make the most of their time with you, as well as the interactions you have with them outside your imaging facility.
Schedule quickly to help your patients to keep their appointments.
A large study of 54,652 radiology exam appointments showed that no-shows were more frequent if there were more days between the appointment and the day it was scheduled. Not surprisingly, patients who had missed appointments in the past were also at higher risk for missing them again. Get patients scheduled as quickly as possible, and use reminders to help patients remember their appointments. If a patient has no-showed previously, consider using multiple reminders to assist them.
Stay connected with your patients through radiology email marketing
Radiology patient retention can benefit from some of the same automated email strategies that help other businesses. These may include:
Emails welcoming them to the imaging center
Emails providing requested content
Example: A potential patient enters their email address into your center’s website so that they can receive an e-brochure on screening recommendations for their age group
Emails that invite the patient to get to know the center better. This could be an invitation to like or follow your facility on social media, or an invitation to a community event the center is hosting or sponsoring.
Emails that ask the patient questions that would help to inform your patient care and/or marketing strategies and help the patient to feel heard and valued
Example: A patient satisfaction survey after an appointment visit
Example: Asking patients what their biggest concern is about a particular imaging exam
Emails that ask the patient to review your center online (e.g., on Yelp, etc.)
Although positive reviews will help you to engage new patients, writing reviews on your behalf may also help your patients to be even more committed to your center!
Newsletter emails
Example: Patient stories about how your center has helped them, news about how the center is improving and growing, information about how your center helps the local community
These strategies for diagnostic patient retention will lead your facility to success
There are a wealth of strategies for diagnostic patient retention, both human-centered and technology-assisted, that can help you make sure you keep your patients happy.
These retention tools require some investment or training up front but can become an automatic part of your imaging center’s daily routines. Not only will they help you with patient retention, but they also help to foster a positive workplace culture at your radiology center!
Growing your imaging center doesn’t have to be hard!
There are two important questions to answer relating to starting an imaging center.
The first is:Should you open a diagnostic imaging center? The answer to this one will vary depending on who’s asking it.
The second is perhaps more important and needs to be answered first:What does it take to start an imaging center?
This article is going to give you everything you need to know about building an imaging center so you can come to an informed conclusion on whether or not this endeavor is right for you.
Setting up a marketing strategy for your new imaging center?
Before you start creating a vision and a marketing plan for a new imaging center, you’ll want to do some research. For your radiology center business plan, Imaging center profitability may be on a long-term upward trend, but with healthcare reform and economic changes, there are no guarantees. Is it worth the risk? The only way to answer this is to do the research specific to your situation and location.
Starting an imaging center is not cheap.
You’ll have to put in a lot of money upfront and it can take time to start making a profit. Will you need investors, a business partner, or some loans? Crunching the numbers should be your first step.
These are dozens of questions you will want to ask yourself in order to determine whether starting an imaging center is a good choice for you. Questions will help guide your research and planning into the financial and marketing aspects of opening an imaging center.
Consider The Location You’re Thinking About Opening an Imaging Center In
The number one rule of all real estate is location, location. location. Sounds easy but there some specific considerations to take into account when we are talking about where to open an imaging center.
Locations near physician’s offices and near the hospital are ideal.
More specifically, your imaging center should be located near the offices of your Referring Physicians. It needs to be accessible and convenient for the patients. Often a physician will recommend a certain test for a patient and tell the patient to come back to his office when it is completed.
Even if a test is not able to be performed immediately or even in the next few days, the patient likely lives or works nearby or at least is familiar with the area.
Pick a location that’s easy to find
If the patient cannot easily locate the radiology imaging center his or her physician recommended, it is the patient’s prerogative to go to any location he or she chooses. Missed appointments mean your radiology marketing budget is taking a hit.
Diagnostics Building Specifications
It is difficult to find a free-standing building that is suitable for all of the requirements for an outpatient imaging center. Even if your chosen building was built as an imaging center, changes will likely have to be made.
It’s up to you to make sure your facility meets all the requirements.
Look and Feel of the Place
Additionally, you’ll want to consider the overall appearance of the center both inside and out. If the building is old and the rooms are cramped, it could steer potential patients and referring physicians away from you.
Parking and Public Transportation to your Imaging Center
There must be enough parking spaces and many patients will need handicapped spaces. If the building is not free-standing, you must be cognizant of the types of businesses above your planned imaging center.
Ideally, your imaging center will be located within easy reach of public transportation. Otherwise, you are limiting your patient pool to those who have a vehicle.
MRI Specific Considerations
You must carefully consider the ideal location for the MRI room.
The MRI machine should be placed in an RF-shielded (radio-frequency) room.
The MRI space consists of three nested components:
An outer shell for structural support
A middle metallic RF-shield
An interior layer made of finish materials
It takes extra space for these items and they must be constructed properly. It can not be too close to moving traffic as that may interfere with the machine’s capabilities.
Steer Clear of ALL METAL
If metal is allowed in the room, catastrophe will ensue. Many times a “foyer” is constructed at the entrance to the MRI room with metal detectors to ensure there are no mistakes.
Consider The Noise of the MRI
The machine is noisy when in use and will possibly be a nuisance to any upstairs or even downstairs neighbors. If your facility is not in a stand-alone building you should assess the possibility of upsetting your neighbors. You also want to take into account any area of your facility that may be sound sensitive and make sure it’s not near any noisy equipment.
Additional MRI Considerations
Depending on where you are, the MRI may have to be a minimum distance away from moving vehicles as well. This includes lawnmowers and trash collection trucks when they are in use.
CT & X-Ray Machines
The x-ray room and the CT room will have to be lead lined. There will be questions about storage and elimination of any chemicals that may be needed for any specialty machines. Newer machines may not be as “hazardous” as older machines so a decision concerning what radiographic machines to purchase may have to be done prior to the final plans for the building.
Installing The Equipment
Remember, the machines to be installed are more often than not very large and very heavy. They will not fit through a doorway. Often the outside wall of the building will have to be removed for the installation, especially for the MRI. After installation, the wall, as well as any required lining, will have to re-installed. The ceiling of the room also will have to be lined.
The Pros Know Best
Start an imaging center: After deliberating and choosing a suitable location for your center, the hard work begins. Even if the building is already built, even as an imaging center, work will have to be done to the premises.
The layout of the facility should be designed by a professional in the area of imaging centers. Dimensions of rooms may vary wildly depending on the footprint of the proposed or existing building.
An MRI requires definitive parameters that a CT exam room or a room for a plain x-ray machine will not need. You’ll need to think about the width of the hallways and the location of the different modalities, as well as the location of the front desk and even the bathrooms.
Think your plans are done? Not till Uncle Sam says so!
After getting the plans drawn and approved by all of the stakeholders involved in the project, the process is just beginning. The county will have its say on the construction or the remodeling of the buildings. There will be details from the building department of your county that may also have specifications for the build of the center. They will go over every aspect in detail. You may think you have thought of every contingency but this is rarely the case.
Where are the exits on the building? Where will the fire extinguishers be placed? Don’t forget about those required pesky water fountains. What about sprinkler heads? Oh no, this may interfere with the MRI machine. You may also have to educate the authorities on the requirements of the machines you will be installing. It can be a difficult and tedious process.
Keeping Your Patients Happy
The entrance to your facility is very important. You need to be sure it makes all patients feel welcome and at ease. Keeping your patients happy also means the look of the interior is crucial. An interior decorator may be utilized to get the perfect “feel” of the imaging center.
Think Beyond The Building
A beautiful facility is a great start, but before you need to think ahead. How will you attract top-notch employees? How can you get 5-star online reviews ethically right out the gate? Established competitors have already considered these points and if you want to succeed you cannot overlook them.
Now that you have your plans in place, the land or building is purchased or at least under contract or option, it is time to begin. You may have thought that getting to this point was difficult but more work, the hard work, is about to begin.
Start an imaging center: Using a Contractor
You may have a contractor or you may have decided to handle the renovations or building yourself. It is not impossible and can be done. By now you know your design inside out. Your contractor should too but it is still your money. If mistakes are made, you are the one who will have to live with them.
Go to the site daily and check on everything.
From the site preparation to the actual building of the imaging center, if the site work is off and needs to be fixed at a later date, you will have to pay for it. Since you’re already paying a pretty penny, you’re not going to want to tack on extra costs because of a misunderstanding. Mistakes can be fixed, but always at a cost, and most often you will have to pay the bill.
Using a Foreman
If you have decided to be your own contractor, hire a foreman. A good foreman can save you aggravation and money. Not only can he take care of the details, but he should be able to set up an approximate, or definitive timeline for the completion of the work as well as a reliable cost. His knowledge will be invaluable.
Building a Great Staff for your Radiology Center Business Plan
Building a great staff for your imaging center takes time and effort. Consider hiring a chief technologist and let him or her interview prospective employees. If you have chosen well, that person will make a list of individuals they have worked with in the past and will know who is good and who is not. Their judgment may be better than yours in this case.
Don’t wait for your building to be completed to begin this step. Relocating, leaving another job, and upcoming travel can all play a part in when your new employees can start, not to mention training time.
Imaging Center Profitability: Co-ordinate your schedule with the vendors of your equipment.
Your machines should be ready to be installed at the proper time in relation to the building. The realization is that often what the salesman told you and reality may be different. The fact of the matter is that things may have changed over time. You should check and recheck all of the details to make this step as smooth as possible.
Finally, You Are Ready To Open Your Imaging Center
After following this guide to start an imaging center, you’ll be ready to, well, open the place! You overcame a lot to get here, now the real work begins.
Your next big hurdle is to go out there and get the business. Go for it. You can do this!
Have you done your research? Get the knowledge to get ahead!
There are two important questions to answer relating to starting an imaging center.
The first is:Should you open a diagnostic imaging center? The answer to this one will vary depending on who’s asking it.
The second is perhaps more important and needs to be answered first:What does it take to start an imaging center?
This article is going to give you everything you need to know about building an imaging center so you can come to an informed conclusion on whether or not this endeavor is right for you.
Setting up a marketing strategy for your new imaging center?
Before you start creating a vision and a marketing plan for a new imaging center, you’ll want to do some research. For your radiology center business plan, Imaging center profitability may be on a long-term upward trend, but with healthcare reform and economic changes, there are no guarantees. Is it worth the risk? The only way to answer this is to do the research specific to your situation and location.
Starting an imaging center is not cheap.
You’ll have to put in a lot of money upfront and it can take time to start making a profit. Will you need investors, a business partner, or some loans? Crunching the numbers should be your first step.
These are dozens of questions you will want to ask yourself in order to determine whether starting an imaging center is a good choice for you. Questions will help guide your research and planning into the financial and marketing aspects of opening an imaging center.
Consider The Location You’re Thinking About Opening an Imaging Center In
The number one rule of all real estate is location, location. location. Sounds easy but there some specific considerations to take into account when we are talking about where to open an imaging center.
Locations near physician’s offices and near the hospital are ideal.
More specifically, your imaging center should be located near the offices of your Referring Physicians. It needs to be accessible and convenient for the patients. Often a physician will recommend a certain test for a patient and tell the patient to come back to his office when it is completed.
Even if a test is not able to be performed immediately or even in the next few days, the patient likely lives or works nearby or at least is familiar with the area.
Pick a location that’s easy to find
If the patient cannot easily locate the radiology imaging center his or her physician recommended, it is the patient’s prerogative to go to any location he or she chooses. Missed appointments mean your radiology marketing budget is taking a hit.
Diagnostics Building Specifications
It is difficult to find a free-standing building that is suitable for all of the requirements for an outpatient imaging center. Even if your chosen building was built as an imaging center, changes will likely have to be made.
It’s up to you to make sure your facility meets all the requirements.
Look and Feel of the Place
Additionally, you’ll want to consider the overall appearance of the center both inside and out. If the building is old and the rooms are cramped, it could steer potential patients and referring physicians away from you.
Parking and Public Transportation to your Imaging Center
There must be enough parking spaces and many patients will need handicapped spaces. If the building is not free-standing, you must be cognizant of the types of businesses above your planned imaging center.
Ideally, your imaging center will be located within easy reach of public transportation. Otherwise, you are limiting your patient pool to those who have a vehicle.
MRI Specific Considerations
You must carefully consider the ideal location for the MRI room.
The MRI machine should be placed in an RF-shielded (radio-frequency) room.
The MRI space consists of three nested components:
An outer shell for structural support
A middle metallic RF-shield
An interior layer made of finish materials
It takes extra space for these items and they must be constructed properly. It can not be too close to moving traffic as that may interfere with the machine’s capabilities.
Steer Clear of ALL METAL
If metal is allowed in the room, catastrophe will ensue. Many times a “foyer” is constructed at the entrance to the MRI room with metal detectors to ensure there are no mistakes.
Consider The Noise of the MRI
The machine is noisy when in use and will possibly be a nuisance to any upstairs or even downstairs neighbors. If your facility is not in a stand-alone building you should assess the possibility of upsetting your neighbors. You also want to take into account any area of your facility that may be sound sensitive and make sure it’s not near any noisy equipment.
Additional MRI Considerations
Depending on where you are, the MRI may have to be a minimum distance away from moving vehicles as well. This includes lawnmowers and trash collection trucks when they are in use.
CT & X-Ray Machines
The x-ray room and the CT room will have to be lead lined. There will be questions about storage and elimination of any chemicals that may be needed for any specialty machines. Newer machines may not be as “hazardous” as older machines so a decision concerning what radiographic machines to purchase may have to be done prior to the final plans for the building.
Installing The Equipment
Remember, the machines to be installed are more often than not very large and very heavy. They will not fit through a doorway. Often the outside wall of the building will have to be removed for the installation, especially for the MRI. After installation, the wall, as well as any required lining, will have to re-installed. The ceiling of the room also will have to be lined.
The Pros Know Best
Start an imaging center: After deliberating and choosing a suitable location for your center, the hard work begins. Even if the building is already built, even as an imaging center, work will have to be done to the premises.
The layout of the facility should be designed by a professional in the area of imaging centers. Dimensions of rooms may vary wildly depending on the footprint of the proposed or existing building.
An MRI requires definitive parameters that a CT exam room or a room for a plain x-ray machine will not need. You’ll need to think about the width of the hallways and the location of the different modalities, as well as the location of the front desk and even the bathrooms.
Think your plans are done? Not till Uncle Sam says so!
After getting the plans drawn and approved by all of the stakeholders involved in the project, the process is just beginning. The county will have its say on the construction or the remodeling of the buildings. There will be details from the building department of your county that may also have specifications for the build of the center. They will go over every aspect in detail. You may think you have thought of every contingency but this is rarely the case.
Where are the exits on the building? Where will the fire extinguishers be placed? Don’t forget about those required pesky water fountains. What about sprinkler heads? Oh no, this may interfere with the MRI machine. You may also have to educate the authorities on the requirements of the machines you will be installing. It can be a difficult and tedious process.
Keeping Your Patients Happy
The entrance to your facility is very important. You need to be sure it makes all patients feel welcome and at ease. Keeping your patients happy also means the look of the interior is crucial. An interior decorator may be utilized to get the perfect “feel” of the imaging center.
Think Beyond The Building
A beautiful facility is a great start, but before you need to think ahead. How will you attract top-notch employees? How can you get 5-star online reviews ethically right out the gate? Established competitors have already considered these points and if you want to succeed you cannot overlook them.
Now that you have your plans in place, the land or building is purchased or at least under contract or option, it is time to begin. You may have thought that getting to this point was difficult but more work, the hard work, is about to begin.
Start an imaging center: Using a Contractor
You may have a contractor or you may have decided to handle the renovations or building yourself. It is not impossible and can be done. By now you know your design inside out. Your contractor should too but it is still your money. If mistakes are made, you are the one who will have to live with them.
Go to the site daily and check on everything.
From the site preparation to the actual building of the imaging center, if the site work is off and needs to be fixed at a later date, you will have to pay for it. Since you’re already paying a pretty penny, you’re not going to want to tack on extra costs because of a misunderstanding. Mistakes can be fixed, but always at a cost, and most often you will have to pay the bill.
Using a Foreman
If you have decided to be your own contractor, hire a foreman. A good foreman can save you aggravation and money. Not only can he take care of the details, but he should be able to set up an approximate, or definitive timeline for the completion of the work as well as a reliable cost. His knowledge will be invaluable.
Building a Great Staff for your Radiology Center Business Plan
Building a great staff for your imaging center takes time and effort. Consider hiring a chief technologist and let him or her interview prospective employees. If you have chosen well, that person will make a list of individuals they have worked with in the past and will know who is good and who is not. Their judgment may be better than yours in this case.
Don’t wait for your building to be completed to begin this step. Relocating, leaving another job, and upcoming travel can all play a part in when your new employees can start, not to mention training time.
Imaging Center Profitability: Co-ordinate your schedule with the vendors of your equipment.
Your machines should be ready to be installed at the proper time in relation to the building. The realization is that often what the salesman told you and reality may be different. The fact of the matter is that things may have changed over time. You should check and recheck all of the details to make this step as smooth as possible.
Finally, You Are Ready To Open Your Imaging Center
After following this guide to start an imaging center, you’ll be ready to, well, open the place! You overcame a lot to get here, now the real work begins.
Your next big hurdle is to go out there and get the business. Go for it. You can do this!
Have you done your research? Get the knowledge to get ahead!
Owning an Imaging Center used to be a direct path to riches. Not anymore. In the past, before the Stark Law, anyone could open an imaging center, provide an incentive to physicians in the area to refer all of their patient exams to the center, and you were assured of success. Today patients are more proactive than ever when it comes to selecting a medical provider.
Whether your imaging center is new or not, you won’t get far without patients.
Patients are at the core of any diagnostics center, new or old. Give your patients a reason to choose you over your competitors by building and maintaining trust through excellent service and great online reviews.
It’s especially important to generate positive online reviews from happy patients when you’re new to the game.
In 1988, Stark introduced an “Ethics in Patient Referrals Act” bill concerning physician self-referrals. Thus the Stark Law was enacted. It was a good law for all patients in the US. Many imaging centers have tried to outsmart the laws but it is not to be. Thus physicians have few, if any, incentives to refer to your imaging center.
However, all is not lost. Patients still have to have exams and physicians still have to refer them. The trick is to get your imaging center to be the main referral center. Some physicians will never send to you. They have allegiance to the center they are sending their patients to.
Front desk clerks do not always want to make changes. They may have been in communication with others at the center they are sending to and feel obligated to send to them. It is difficult to change habits and to get people to adapt to new ways of doing things, regardless of the benefits. How many times have you heard ”but we have always done it this way.”
Your job is to encourage them to give you a chance. Remember, they are very busy and are used to the way they have always done things. You have to give them a reason why your center is better and why they should refer to you. If the physician-employer tells their front desk to use you, they certainly will. If the patient requests your center, the physician’s office will have no choice but to oblige them. However, barring that, you will have to be very convincing if you want to open an imaging center.
Open an Imaging Center: Money, Money, Money
The reason to spend your time and finances and take a chance on an imaging center is, to be blunt, money. If you do not work hard and have faith and confidence, along with good solid numbers from extensive research, you definitely will not succeed. You might as well take a trip to Las Vegas and put all of your and your stakeholder’s money on red.
There is a much better chance with an Imaging Center if you have done your homework and have a method for success. Before even purchasing the land and building your Center, you must do some homework. There are important questions that have to be answered.
If you open an imaging center, who are the radiologists you will be using?
What will be the costs of the radiologists?
Are the radiologists considered to be good in their field by the referring offices?
Have you included the cost of maintenance contracts in your budget?
Have you taken into consideration the time your machines might be down for maintenance?
Have you researched the possible billing alternatives?
Is it cheaper for you to do the billing in your office or are you going to utilize a service?
If you are going to do the billing yourself, can you collect more or less than a service?
Do you have the physical resources to handle billing in your office?
Is your estimated budget for your center realistic?
Do you have a big enough bankroll to carry your center until it is cash flow positive?
Have you researched the reimbursement for the scans you will be providing?
Have you taken into account a decrease in the possible reimbursement?
Have you considered and pursued hospital affiliations that may increase your reimbursement?
Have you taken into account the possible overstatements by physicians offices?
Have you researched the possibility of success against other centers being utilized by physicians offices?
Have you started the paperwork to join different insurance plans?
Do you have a plan to reach the financial goals necessary for the center to be viable?
How long will it take to reach this goal?
Decisions
After researching these questions you need to be critical and decide if the answers warrant opening an imaging center. How much experience do you have, not only running a business but in the medical field in particular? There are always more problems on the horizon that you may have thought about. And it will be your job to solve them.
If you have made the jump to open a center, or perhaps you already have one, it is time to get serious about obtaining patients. You have to work on this every day. It is the backbone of your business. Anyone can open a business but not everyone has the ability to make it thrive.
If you need professional help, get it. This includes all aspects of your business. Often it is cheaper to pay for someone’s expertise than to learn it the hard way. Time is indeed money. The bills do not take a vacation because you want to. You will have to come back to reality when your employees are to be paid. They are not concerned about your cash flow, only you are.
To open an imaging center, you must be innovative in finding ways to obtain more patients. Figure out what patients are looking for in an imaging center. It often relates to costs. In today’s market with deductibles so high, many patients of the past are going without the necessary tests.
Many businesses are attempting to cut costs and may be self-insured. Many victims of accidents want auto insurance to pay their bills but do not know how to make it happen. What can you do to help with their problem and solve yours at the same time?
The answers are out there. You only need to find them.
Gaining knowledge of your local market is the first step in creating an effective diagnostic marketing plan.
Owning an Imaging Center used to be a direct path to riches. Not anymore. In the past, before the Stark Law, anyone could open an imaging center, provide an incentive to physicians in the area to refer all of their patient exams to the center, and you were assured of success. Today patients are more proactive than ever when it comes to selecting a medical provider.
Whether your imaging center is new or not, you won’t get far without patients.
Patients are at the core of any diagnostics center, new or old. Give your patients a reason to choose you over your competitors by building and maintaining trust through excellent service and great online reviews.
It’s especially important to generate positive online reviews from happy patients when you’re new to the game.
In 1988, Stark introduced an “Ethics in Patient Referrals Act” bill concerning physician self-referrals. Thus the Stark Law was enacted. It was a good law for all patients in the US. Many imaging centers have tried to outsmart the laws but it is not to be. Thus physicians have few, if any, incentives to refer to your imaging center.
However, all is not lost. Patients still have to have exams and physicians still have to refer them. The trick is to get your imaging center to be the main referral center. Some physicians will never send to you. They have allegiance to the center they are sending their patients to.
Front desk clerks do not always want to make changes. They may have been in communication with others at the center they are sending to and feel obligated to send to them. It is difficult to change habits and to get people to adapt to new ways of doing things, regardless of the benefits. How many times have you heard ”but we have always done it this way.”
Your job is to encourage them to give you a chance. Remember, they are very busy and are used to the way they have always done things. You have to give them a reason why your center is better and why they should refer to you. If the physician-employer tells their front desk to use you, they certainly will. If the patient requests your center, the physician’s office will have no choice but to oblige them. However, barring that, you will have to be very convincing if you want to open an imaging center.
Open an Imaging Center: Money, Money, Money
The reason to spend your time and finances and take a chance on an imaging center is, to be blunt, money. If you do not work hard and have faith and confidence, along with good solid numbers from extensive research, you definitely will not succeed. You might as well take a trip to Las Vegas and put all of your and your stakeholder’s money on red.
There is a much better chance with an Imaging Center if you have done your homework and have a method for success. Before even purchasing the land and building your Center, you must do some homework. There are important questions that have to be answered.
If you open an imaging center, who are the radiologists you will be using?
What will be the costs of the radiologists?
Are the radiologists considered to be good in their field by the referring offices?
Have you included the cost of maintenance contracts in your budget?
Have you taken into consideration the time your machines might be down for maintenance?
Have you researched the possible billing alternatives?
Is it cheaper for you to do the billing in your office or are you going to utilize a service?
If you are going to do the billing yourself, can you collect more or less than a service?
Do you have the physical resources to handle billing in your office?
Is your estimated budget for your center realistic?
Do you have a big enough bankroll to carry your center until it is cash flow positive?
Have you researched the reimbursement for the scans you will be providing?
Have you taken into account a decrease in the possible reimbursement?
Have you considered and pursued hospital affiliations that may increase your reimbursement?
Have you taken into account the possible overstatements by physicians offices?
Have you researched the possibility of success against other centers being utilized by physicians offices?
Have you started the paperwork to join different insurance plans?
Do you have a plan to reach the financial goals necessary for the center to be viable?
How long will it take to reach this goal?
Decisions
After researching these questions you need to be critical and decide if the answers warrant opening an imaging center. How much experience do you have, not only running a business but in the medical field in particular? There are always more problems on the horizon that you may have thought about. And it will be your job to solve them.
If you have made the jump to open a center, or perhaps you already have one, it is time to get serious about obtaining patients. You have to work on this every day. It is the backbone of your business. Anyone can open a business but not everyone has the ability to make it thrive.
If you need professional help, get it. This includes all aspects of your business. Often it is cheaper to pay for someone’s expertise than to learn it the hard way. Time is indeed money. The bills do not take a vacation because you want to. You will have to come back to reality when your employees are to be paid. They are not concerned about your cash flow, only you are.
To open an imaging center, you must be innovative in finding ways to obtain more patients. Figure out what patients are looking for in an imaging center. It often relates to costs. In today’s market with deductibles so high, many patients of the past are going without the necessary tests.
Many businesses are attempting to cut costs and may be self-insured. Many victims of accidents want auto insurance to pay their bills but do not know how to make it happen. What can you do to help with their problem and solve yours at the same time?
The answers are out there. You only need to find them.
Gaining knowledge of your local market is the first step in creating an effective diagnostic marketing plan.
Patients who slip through the cracks may suffer negative consequences of disrupted care, while your center loses the rewards of all the hard work that has gone into your outreach and reputation-building efforts.
You take pride in your staff’s training and dedication to current best practices, as well as the safety and rigor of the technologies they use. However, other metrics of quality may be an even more effective method to increase patient retention for an imaging center. 
Taking the time to help a patient understand the choices and services that they are being offered may help them to not only play an active role in making decisions for their health but also to stay engaged in their care. 
Empowering your imaging patients to understand and take part in their health care will result in positive outcomes, including patient satisfaction and an increase in patient retention for an imaging center. 
Integrating warmth and continued connection with the patient into your center’s processes is one of the best ideas for patient retention. It turns out it’s the little things that make a big difference. Multiple studies have shown that small touches such as mailing patients postcards and letters can actually reduce suicide attempts. This highlights just how powerful small kindnesses can be. 
A large study of 54,652 radiology exam appointments showed that no-shows were more frequent if there were more days between the appointment and the day it was scheduled. Not surprisingly, patients who had missed appointments in the past were also at higher risk for missing them again. Get patients scheduled as quickly as possible, and use reminders to help patients remember their appointments. If a patient has no-showed previously, consider using multiple reminders to assist them.
Tip: Make your emails even more effective and memorable with these Diagnostic Center Email Signature Tips
More specifically, your imaging center should be located near the offices of your 
It is difficult to find a free-standing building that is suitable for all of the requirements for an outpatient imaging center. Even if your chosen building was built as an imaging center, changes will likely have to be made. 
You must carefully consider the ideal location for the MRI room. 
If you have decided to be your own contractor, hire a foreman. A good foreman can save you aggravation and money. Not only can he take care of the details, but he should be able to set up an approximate, or definitive timeline for the completion of the work as well as a reliable cost. His knowledge will be invaluable.
However, all is not lost. Patients still have to have exams and physicians still have to refer them. The trick is to get your imaging center to be the main referral center. Some physicians will never send to you. They have allegiance to the center they are sending their patients to.
Your job is to encourage them to give you a chance. Remember, they are very busy and are used to the way they have always done things. You have to give them a reason why your center is better and why they should refer to you. If the physician-employer tells their front desk to use you, they certainly will. If the patient requests your center, the physician’s office will have no choice but to oblige them. However, barring that, you will have to be very convincing if you want to open an imaging center.
To open an imaging center, you must be innovative in finding ways to obtain more patients. Figure out what patients are looking for in an imaging center. It often relates to costs. In today’s market with deductibles so high, many patients of the past are going without the necessary tests. 