EyeWorld is the official news magazine of the American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery.
Issue link: https://digital.eyeworld.org/i/1123870
I JUNE 2019 | EYEWORLD | 63 provider. Successful practices intentionally build on this. Notes are kept about what's happening in the patient's life so the doctor can ask about it at the next visit. The front desk is all smiles, even on the toughest days. By providing great care and caring, patients stick around long enough to be a part of their doctor's life, and vice versa. Local healthcare leaders. These include hospital administrators and senior executives and the medical directors of large local clinics. They are in a position to know where your local healthcare delivery system is heading in the future. And they are remarkably easy to develop a relationship with because in their leadership position they are eager to hear about what's going on. A majority of our largest clients make it their job to meet periodically with their local health system thought leaders. Through these relationships they can keep tabs on local competition, gauge the pace of managed care development, and find partners for special projects. benefits, too many practices take these relation- ships for granted. Keep in touch on a regular basis. Call to discuss a shared patient and take the time to ask if there is anything your office could be doing to make referring patients to the office more streamlined. If you have (or want) significant co-management relation- ships, create a written plan to keep track of the number of times you contact each doctor or practice annually and what follow-up is needed for the relationships to stay tuned up. This kind of relationship building has a lot in common with politics and the deliberate building of a constituency. Patients and your reputation in the community. The heart of your practice is your relationship with each patient. This is a classic "exchange relationship." You provide expertise, caring, and great outcomes. Your patient pro- vides payment and compliance with your treat- ment plan. But if that's all that flows between doctor and patient, the relationship is very cold. In the best practices, something approaching genuine affection is felt between patient and