The top 3 factors influencing how patients choose your health care practice

Understanding how patients find and choose healthcare providers is crucial for growing your practice. Despite focusing primarily on patient care, it's essential to grasp the business aspect of healthcare. Knowing the most effective marketing channels to attract new patients is key, considering the vast array of options available. While various factors influence patient decisions, such as online reviews, referrals from other providers, and recommendations from friends or family, it's challenging to determine the most critical channels without concrete data.

According to the 2021 RepuGen Patient Review Survey, the top three factors influencing patient decisions are online reviews, referrals from trusted providers, and recommendations from friends or family. While the source of this data may be viewed with skepticism due to potential bias, similar findings from various sources support these results.

To gain insights into how patients find and choose providers, healthcare professionals are encouraged to ask their patients directly for feedback. Over a period of three months, tracking how patients discovered and selected their provider can reveal patterns and help identify the most influential factors. By focusing marketing efforts on these channels, healthcare practitioners can maximize their return on investment.

Marita McCahill, founder of practiceGRO, emphasizes the importance of understanding marketing strategies in growing a healthcare practice. She offers an online course, practiceGRO Marketing 101, designed to address the gap in medical education regarding personal branding and practice growth. This course aims to empower healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to attract more ideal patients and expand their practice effectively.