Running a successful private clinic takes medical expertise plus a strategic approach to operations, finances, and patient experience. In this blog, we gather perspectives on how to run a clinic successfully for those just starting out, across five areas:
- Patient-centered care and the patient experience
- Marketing that attracts new patients
- A cohesive healthcare team
- Technology that improves clinic workflows
- Expanded services for your patient populations
Transitioning from the academic rigors of medical school to the multifaceted challenges of running a private practice can be a daunting leap for many healthcare professionals.
Article Highlights
- Patient-centered care is care that is respectful of, and responsive to, individual patient preferences, needs and values.
- Interdisciplinary teamwork is associated with better patient outcomes, higher nurse retention, and lower hospital costs.
- Text message appointment reminders reduce no-show rates.
- Only 47% of primary care physicians routinely assess all patients 65 and older for cognitive impairment.
What payment models apply to a private medical practice?
Four payment models shape how a private medical practice in the United States is paid.
| Payment model | How it works |
|---|---|
| Fee-for-service | Clinicians are compensated based on the quantity of services they deliver. Each service or procedure is billed separately, and payment is made for each service rendered. |
| Value-based care (VBC) | Healthcare organizations and physicians are incentivized based on patient health outcomes, with the goal of offering the best care at the lowest cost, improving patient health and satisfaction while reducing overall healthcare expenses. |
| Medicaid | A joint federal and state program that provides health coverage to low-income individuals and families, including children, pregnant women, elderly adults, and people with disabilities. |
| Medicare | Coverage for specific groups, such as individuals aged 65 and older, regardless of income, as well as certain younger people with disabilities. |
How can a medical practice improve patient care and satisfaction?
These strategies for a successful medical practice can benefit your patients as well as your clinic's bottom line.
Take a patient-centered approach
Patient-centered care is defined as “care that is respectful of, and responsive to, individual patient preferences, needs and values.” By adopting this approach, clinics address the medical, emotional, and psychological needs of their patients, fostering patient enablement and engagement.
For instance, a 2023 review of patient-centered care found that tailoring care to individual patient needs and preferences enhances patient satisfaction and engagement. This can ultimately lead to better financial outcomes for hospitals. A policy brief in Health Affairs highlighted that patients who were more involved in their healthcare decisions had lower healthcare costs and experienced better outcomes.
Encourage preventive care
Preventive care emphasizes disease prevention to enhance patient outcomes and minimize chronic illness costs. The adage "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" is particularly relevant in healthcare.
Preventive strategies include:
- Health screenings
- Immunizations
- Patient education
Preventive care promotes early detection and more effective, less invasive treatments. For instance, a study published in Hypertension found that early identification of high blood pressure can lead to lifestyle adjustments and medication treatment plans that can slow the disease progression.
By integrating preventive care, clinics foster a healthier community and stand out in a competitive market.
Improve the patient experience
Improving the patient experience is about creating a healthcare environment where patients feel genuinely valued and cared for throughout the entire continuum of care, from pre-visit preparation through the in-clinic visit to post-visit follow-up.
Some of these strategies may involve an initial investment in establishing new processes, adopting technology, or spending. Yet the benefits to patient satisfaction can support the sustainability of a practice.
Here are a few ways to improve the patient experience:
- Enhanced physical spaces: Clinics can reduce patient stress and increase comfort by creating private, comfortable, and aesthetically pleasing consultation areas. A systematic review of care environments has shown that well-designed physical environments contribute to better patient care experiences. Strategies can be tailored to the types of patient populations a clinic predominantly serves. For example, dimmer lighting, white noise, or reduced noise can benefit patients with migraines, brain injuries, or concussion.
- Accessibility improvements: Features like wheelchair ramps, automatic doors, and adjustable examination tables can enhance the patient experience, especially for those with limited mobility.
- Telehealth options: Offering telehealth services, like virtual consultations and remote monitoring, can improve access to care, especially for patients with mobility limitations or those living in remote areas. A systematic review of telehealth found that telehealth improved outcomes, increased ease of use, lowered costs, and decreased travel time.
- Extended hours and flexible scheduling: Providing appointments in the evenings and on weekends can increase convenience for those with tight schedules. This can look like adapting the clinic’s hours, schedule, and staffing needs based on when patients are most likely to be available for appointments.
- Cultural competency training for staff: Ensuring that staff are trained in cultural competency can lead to a more inclusive environment where all patients feel welcome and understood. One article on cultural humility recommends cultural humility as a process-oriented approach to patient care that can improve patient-clinician interactions, particularly in diverse patient populations. Gathering information on cultural competency training can look like surveying patient groups for feedback or hiring a consultant to train staff.
- On-site childcare services: On-site childcare can allow parents to focus on their own health without concern for their children's well-being during the appointment. A 2022 pilot study of no-cost childcare found that among pilot clinics in the first year of offering no-cost childcare, 175 patients enrolled 271 children, with 81% making appointments and 68% using the service. Most participants were women, predominantly Hispanic and Black, who learned about the program through clinic staff and signage.
Solicit patient feedback
Clinics that actively seek patient feedback can make informed decisions to enhance the quality of care and patient satisfaction. A 2018 study on patient feedback emphasizes that patient insights are crucial for the development of patient-centered services. By establishing a feedback loop, clinics demonstrate to patients that their experiences and opinions are highly valued, fostering a relationship of trust and openness.
How can a clinic attract new patients?
A strong online presence is essential for clinics looking to attract new patients and retain existing ones. Clinics can use digital marketing in three ways:
- Social media engagement: Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) allow clinics to connect with their community, share updates, and promote health awareness campaigns.
- Email marketing: Clinics can keep in touch with their patients and encourage repeat visits by sending newsletters, appointment reminders, and personalized health tips.
- Online reputation management: Encouraging satisfied patients to leave positive reviews on platforms like Google and Yelp can enhance a clinic's reputation and attract new patients.
Hire, retain, and motivate your healthcare team
A strong healthcare team, from administrators to clinicians, is imperative to a clinic's success. This section covers how to build, retain, and incentivize clinic staff.
Build a strong healthcare team
Hiring a cohesive team of clinicians and administrative staff is fundamental to the success of any healthcare clinic. For instance, a review of interdisciplinary teamwork in the Journal of Hospital Medicine demonstrated that interdisciplinary teamwork in healthcare settings is associated with enhanced patient outcomes, higher nurse retention, and lower hospital costs.
Retain your employees
A stable and experienced workforce ensures the consistent delivery of high-quality patient care and contributes to the clinic's overall efficiency and reputation. A dissertation on employee turnover found that reducing employee turnover is critical, especially in the medical sphere, because frequent turnover can increase patient mishaps, reduce the quality of patient care, and cost organizations millions, among other issues.
Incentivize your staff
Creating a system of incentives is a powerful way to motivate staff and promote a positive work environment. Research on staff incentives has shown that financial and non-financial incentives can increase job satisfaction and productivity. For example, in the same research, organizations found they could increase employee loyalty through meaningful incentives.
Embrace technology to improve workflows
Technology has changed the healthcare industry, from patient care to administrative tasks. Clinicians can now automate communications, use scheduling and reminder systems, and manage medical equipment, streamlining their clinics' operations.
Automate communications
Automating communications within a healthcare clinic can improve efficiency and patient satisfaction. By implementing systems that automatically handle appointment reminders, follow-ups, and even routine health tips, clinics can ensure consistent communication without placing additional burdens on staff. Here are some key points supported by research:
- Reduced no-shows: Automated reminder systems have been shown to decrease the number of missed appointments. A study of appointment reminders found that text message reminders reduced no-show rates (but not punctuality).
- Enhanced patient engagement: Regular communication through automated systems can keep patients engaged in their healthcare. Research on digital communication found that text messages and email help young people access clinicians when managing long-term health conditions.
- Streamlined workflow: By automating routine tasks, staff can focus on more critical aspects of patient care, thus improving clinic workflow. A study on workflow automation showed that automation leads to a more streamlined workflow, which can contribute to better patient outcomes.
- Improved data accuracy: Automated systems help reduce errors in patient communication and record-keeping.
Equip your clinic for telehealth services
Telehealth has become an integral part of modern healthcare, offering a convenient and efficient way for patients to access medical services remotely. Some equipment can be useful when facilitating virtual consultations and remote patient monitoring. Essential telehealth equipment includes:
- High-quality cameras: These are for clear visual communication during virtual consultations.
- Advanced microphones: To ensure audio clarity and reduce misunderstandings.
- Reliable Internet connectivity: A stable and fast Internet connection is crucial for uninterrupted telehealth sessions.
- Secure software platforms: For video conferencing, automated transcripts, or digitized intake forms, for example, platforms must comply with healthcare privacy regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to protect patient information.
- User-friendly patient interfaces: From cognitive assessments to scheduling and sign-in platforms, user-friendly interfaces make platforms easy to use for patients of all ages and levels of tech-savviness.
A 2022 study of telehealth costs demonstrated that telehealth services can reduce patient healthcare costs. By leveraging the right technology, clinicians can offer remote care that is both accessible and of high quality, which is particularly beneficial for patients in rural areas or those with mobility challenges.
Expand your services
Expanding the services offered by your clinic can enhance patient satisfaction and clinic revenue. By offering new and specialized services, you can meet the diverse needs of your patient population and stay ahead in the competitive healthcare market. Read on to discover how to broaden your clinic's offerings to provide more comprehensive care.
Add cognitive assessments
Including cognitive healthcare services within a practice is an opportunity to reach many patient populations in need of these services. For example, with a growing population of elderly patients, primary care physicians (PCPs) are having to prepare to meet the health needs of this demographic.
An Alzheimer's Association survey found that only 47% of primary care physicians routinely assess all patients 65 years and older for cognitive impairment. These results suggest that there's a lack of awareness among clinicians about the benefits of regularly scheduled cognitive assessment, as well as the detriments that can arise without a care plan.
Cognitive assessments can be useful tools especially in aiding diagnoses and managing conditions such as:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Mild cognitive impairment (MCI)
- Dementia
- Anxiety
- Depression
- ADHD
For instance, early detection of MCI through cognitive testing can lead to timely interventions that may slow the progression to dementia, as highlighted by recommendations published in Alzheimer's & Dementia.
Furthermore, standardized computerized assessments, like those provided by Creyos, allow PCPs to screen for various cognitive, psychological, and behavioral health concerns efficiently. This comprehensive approach ensures that patients receive appropriate care and referrals.
Creyos offers an all-in-one platform for these standardized assessments, enabling primary care physicians to provide more comprehensive patient screening. The platform's ease of use and integration into existing workflows make it an attractive option for practices looking to enhance their service offerings and improve patient outcomes.
Use standardized mental health evaluations
Mental health conditions can be comorbid with a variety of physical and cognitive conditions. So incorporating standardized mental health evaluations into a clinic's service offerings can improve patient care by offering a more whole-person approach.
Behavioral and mental health questionnaires and screeners provide a structured way to identify various psychological conditions early, crucial for timely and effective treatment.
For example, cognitive impairment associated with depression has been detected using assessments designed to measure specific areas of cognition:
- Depressive symptoms and cognitive decline: A longitudinal cohort study found that depressive symptoms predicted a decline in paired associates learning, verbal reasoning, spatial working memory, and verbal digit span.
- Late-onset depression and verbal reasoning: In a study evaluating measures of visuospatial episodic memory, executive function, and verbal and visual working memory, participants with late-onset depression scored significantly lower on the verbal reasoning task.
The Creyos library of mental and behavioral questionnaires can serve as a valuable resource for screening mental health concerns. Here are a few examples available in the platform:
- Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) measures symptoms of depression.
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder screener (GAD-7) measures symptoms of anxiety.
- Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) allows patients to self-report their symptoms of stress.
These assessments are designed to be comprehensive and user-friendly, allowing clinicians to identify potential psychological issues quickly. By utilizing the Creyos platform, clinics can ensure that patients receive the appropriate care and referrals, supported by research emphasizing the importance of early detection and intervention in mental health.
Written by Mike Battista, Director of Science & Research at Creyos
Mike Battista specializes in brain health, cognition, and neuropsychological testing. He received his PhD in personality and measurement psychology at Western University in 2010 and has been doing fun and useful stuff in the intersection between science and technology ever since.