5 Ideas to Boost Your Physical Therapy Practice ROI
Physical therapists are a critical part of the healthcare industry, providing their patients with the support they need to overcome injuries, accidents and surgeries. Although every PT clinic is primarily focused on helping their clients recover and remain healthy, they’re also businesses.
Improving return on investment is something that’s constantly at the back of every business owner’s mind, and physical therapists are no different. There are all sorts of ways to increase a clinic’s profitability, but one approach that’s often overlooked is communication.
Many PT clinics have stuck with their current communication system for too long. As technology continues to advance exponentially, the practices that lag behind in updating their networks run the risk of losing out on the benefits of optimized communication. Failure to recognize the merits of modern communication tools threatens an office’s efficiency and profitability.
These tools may seem intimidating or unnecessary to some, but with a little training, they’re incredibly user-friendly for everyone in a PT clinic. Let’s take a look at five ideas for using communication tools to boost your practice’s ROI.
1. Consolidate your communication
In the past, lines of communication in a clinic were almost entirely separate from each other. Calls, texts and emails ran through completely different systems. However, recent advancements allow practices to unify their communication outreach in one place. VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phones are the foundation of a consolidated system.
VoIP phones don’t just bring together your lines of communication using the internet. They also let your staff see vital patient information as soon as they answer a call. Combine this feature with the analytical capabilities to understand your office’s call history, and you’re well on your way to improving customer service, keeping your schedule full and boosting your ROI.
2. Utilize text messaging
With each passing year, business texting becomes more popular. That’s because it often makes communication easier for both businesses and their customers. PT clinics should be using text outreach to handle things like missed calls, scheduling and last-minute cancellations.
Your front desk can’t answer every single call, so it’s best to set up automatic missed-call texts that let clients know you’ll get back to them. Appointment reminders can also be automated with the right system to make sure your patients are aware of their upcoming visits. If a customer cancels, mass texts can be sent out to patients likely to accept an appointment on short notice, ensuring that you don’t miss out on profit-making opportunities.
3. Work remotely with a mobile app
Owning, managing and simply working in a practice has been complicated in the past year by the Covid-19 pandemic. Clinics have closed temporarily, had their hours changed and been forced to operate from home in some cases. Bringing a mobile app on board is a no-brainer for physical therapists that are dealing with the ups and downs of today’s market.
A mobile app puts your office communication tools in the palm of your hand. Physical therapists and their staff can stay in touch with each other and their patients from anywhere, whether they’re on the go or at home. A mobile app lets clinics implement good social distancing and protocols such as curbside waiting rooms, wellness forms and telehealth.
4. Take advantage of online reviews
Traditional marketing still has its place, but most marketing now happens online. In particular, developing an online review strategy is key for getting optimal results when prospective customers look up physical therapists on sites like Google. Asking patients to share online reviews and having the ability to easily check on your online ratings will go a long way toward boosting your clinic’s ROI.
5. Switch to contactless payments
Conventional forms of payment, like cash, checks and cards are gradually being replaced by contactless options including mobile wallets and text payments. These contactless payments are often more convenient for patients and allow employees to process payments in a way that’s safe and secure. Optimizing your payment processing by adding a contactless option is a surefire idea for getting a better return on investment.
Discover Weave’s effect on ROI
Weave’s communication tools, founded on our VoIP phone system, can bring all of these ideas together to make PT clinics more efficient and profitable. Find out how to further optimize your office at Weave’s DrChrono Marketplace listing.