PODCAST

EP010: Healthcare Consumerism: Why It's Great News For Small PT Clinics Trying To Get BIG!

Episode number 10 is here and it’s aaaaaaaalllllll about using your desire to really help and serve your patients better than anyone else - and getting rewarded handsomely for it!

If you’re not familiar with the term “Healthcare Consumerism”- it’s a way of describing how patients are now making decisions about their health than ever before - and those decisions are NOT solely based upon how good of a practitioner you are (or claim to be).

Why is that good news for you and I?…

Well, it’s because we’re now at a place in time where people NO LONGER choose their healthcare providers based solely upon “skill”, “knowledge”, “qualifications” - and even “outcomes”.

(Gasp!!)

Consumers - your patients - are now making decisions on their healthcare providers in much the same way they are other purchase decisions with companies like “Apple”, “Zappos” and “Amazon”…

All of your patients EXPECTATIONS are being set by NON-healthcare companies (like Apple and Zappos) - and meeting those expectations is now critical to ensure patient satisfaction - and loyalty.

The 5 Key principles of a recent study by McKinsey and Co. into Healthcare Consumerism are discussed in this podcast for you - and I start with a real life example of how me and my family experienced such DREADFULLY bad service in the San Diego area while looking for a doctor to provide a vaccine to my 8 week old son…

“12” phone calls to “12” different doctor offices - and not once did we speak to a “human” who actually answered the phone and sadly, not once did we even get a call back from any office despite leaving messages on the machine…

This was a critical vaccine that we NEEDED to get done - so we HAD to endure the dreadful service and continue the pursuit of a paediatrician until we got the outcome…

…but just imagine that if all we wanted was some help with “regular lower back ache”, do you think we would have ever made it to calling “12” different doctors?

(Unlikely).

And that’s why this is so important for you to understand.

PT’s are NOT life or death practitioners - so any sign of poor or even average service and we give people an excuse to do nothing…

On the flip - give people something they weren’t expecting in the service department and you give them a reason to find ANY EXCUSE TO COME BACK no matter how “trivial” the ailment or pain they’ve got.

Welcome to HEALTHCARE CONSUMERISM and here’s some of what you’ll learn on the show:

* Why healthcare is no different from another industries when it comes to what consumers are looking for in choosing their provider….

* Proof that patients have absolutely NO CLUE what they REALLY want from a healthcare provider like a PT

* That consumers - your patients - generally DO NOT research their choices or ever make FACT based decisions about providers…

* Price is NOT the key factor in who they choose

* Patients ARE willing to by-pass their PCP or family doctor and consult another expert first (i.e, a PT 😉 )

* How the rise of Healthcare Consumerism is strengthening the case for EDUCATIONAL/VALUE based Marketing.

* And so much more on this episode.

Enjoy the show - and subscribe here.

Sincerely,

Paul Gough

P.S I must give special acknowledgment to “Jerry Durham” for bringing this research to my attention…

Jerry is someone who is a champion of the customer experience and is doing incredible work to ensure that the PT profession is doing more to thrill our patients with great service - and not just rely upon our skills or research.

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Head over to www.paulgough.com for your instant access free trainings - “7 Things That PT School Forgot To Teach You About Becoming A Successful Business Owner”

…and the online tutorial “How To Generate 20 New Patients In The Next 30 Days” (Without A Single Referral From A Doctor”)…

Both of these free trainings will give you more guidance, clarity and essential skills to help you grow a more successful physical therapy business – starting TODAY!

This show is brought to you by:

www.ptprofitacademy.com the online training organization that helps great physical therapists become successful business owners.

Visit my own clinic website, here:

www.paulgoughphysio.com

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