Marketing a Membership, Direct Primary Care (DPC), or Concierge Practice

More and more physicians are transitioning from a traditional practice to a membership, DPC, or concierge practice. The three terms are often (mistakenly) used interchangeably. (The various ways to structure this type of practice will be discussed in future blogs, so stay tuned!)

If you’re thinking about making the leap, you’ve probably done enough research to know that one of the biggest issues for these practices is marketing.

Perhaps “marketing” is the wrong thing to focus on. Focus, instead, on patient education to help your current patients become comfortable and excited about the new practice model. This can smooth the transition and alleviate some of your patient-retention fears. (Plus it can also save you time and money since you won’t have to focus so much effort on constantly attracting new patients.)

Advantage #1: Affordability

When your patients hear the terms “membership, DPC, or concierge practice,” often the first thing they think is that it’ll be expensive.

For example, concierge medicine didn’t start in small towns populated by middle-class people; it started in large urban areas populated by high earners who were willing and able to pay top dollar for private medical care. That’s the way many people still view it.

Help your patients to understand they won’t be paying hundreds of dollars more for visits with you than they pay now. A membership, DPC, or concierge practice can be an especially great deal for patients who have HSA and FSA programs through their insurance providers.

Patient education and clarity are the best ways to overcome this misconception. Communicate to your patients that your transition has nothing to do with money, but a desire to deliver a higher quality of care. (Research has shown that traditional providers make about the same as concierge providers1.) For clarity, show them your new fee structure, as well as their potential financial obligations under a few common scenarios.

Advantage #2: Time

Patients are tired of waiting hours for an appointment or being told to schedule different appointments for every health concern. And they don’t appreciate being rushed through an office visit any more than you like being rushed.

1 Pearson, D. 2015. ‘Direct primary care’ shown to please patients and reduce costs, including for imaging. Available at: http://www.imagingbiz.com/topics/healthcare-economics/‘direct- primary-care’-shown-please-patients-and-reduce-costs-including-imaging.

The average medical appointment lasts just over 15 minutes. Describe how an office visit under the new model is different than what they’re used to. The reality is that by transitioning to a membership, DPC, or concierge practice, you’ll be able to devote much more time and attention to their care.

Advantage #3: Service

Membership, DPC, and concierge practices can provide better service than the traditional model. It’s frustrating for patients when they have to wait days or weeks for an appointment or when they arrive on time for an appointment only to be kept waiting because you’re running behind. 

Outline the new customer service patients can expect from your office. Will they have access to the doctor via E-mail or cell phone? Will they be guaranteed same-day appointments? What tests, procedures, or services are included in their monthly or annual fee?

Don’t Forget:

You and your patients often share the same frustrations. Things like long wait times, short or rushed appointment times, and insurance companies refusing to pay for needed care top the list. Those aggravations may be due to the “middle-man” (insurance companies) standing between the doctor and patient. By removing this obstacle, you’ll be removing these frustrations. For more information on how to explain the membership, DPC, or concierge model to patients, watch this brief video of me in a recent panel discussion! (See my entire DPC Panel discussion here.)

One Last Tip:

Take the time to ask patients what they want (and don’t want) from a membership, DPC, or concierge practice before making the change. For example, do they expect unlimited phone access, same day appointments, house calls, or a fancy waiting area that serves tea? This way, when you make the transition, you’ll know where to spend time and money so you can provide the services people want and are willing to pay for. 

Educating patients about what your membership, DPC, or concierge practice will and won’t be can help you retain patients so your primary focus remains providing high-quality care. This is a key reason you want to become a membership, DPC, or concierge provider!

 

For more information on building community connections, I encourage you to read my new book Community Connections! Relationship Marketing for Healthcare Professionals. If you want more valuable information about how to Connect with YOUR Community, you can find FREE healthcare practice marketing content, PowerPoint Presentation Jumpstart Kits, workbooks, blog articles, and my FREE “Practice Marketing Planner” Now!