Whether you are just opening up your own practice, or you have had one for years, the growth of your practice is extremely important. Here are several important ways to keep your business on the upswing.

1. Treat patients well

The best way to grow your practice is probably the most important thing you can do as a medical practitioner and that is to treat your patients with the kindness and respect they deserve. When they feel heard, they are more likely to have a positive experience, recommend you to their friends, and leave a good review. Word of mouth is still the easiest and most organic way to grow. So make sure you always treat your patients well

That not only goes for you but the employees you hire. They must have good interpersonal skills because patients are the lifeblood of your business and a few bad reviews can cause major damage. Here are some policies you can put into place to foster better relationships with your patients:

• Greet them when they walk through the door – A simple enough step, but a good first one.
• Listen to them – When treating your patients, get to know them as people. If you have a poor memory, try keeping notes. You might feel a little disingenuous, but the patient will feel like you actually care about them.
• Have a good time – No, you don’t have to be a regular comedian, but it can be good to loosen up around them. Let them know you are human.
• Keep them informed in a language they understand – Nobody wants to be left in the dark, especially when it comes to something concerning or intense. Many doctors will hide behind medical terms to get some space from their patients, but this is the wrong approach. Make sure you are open and honest with patients, no matter what is going on.

2. Hire good employees

The second step to growing your practice is to make sure that you have a good staff. As mentioned before, you are looking for competent workers with good interpersonal skills. How to hire them is up to you, but here are some common ways that you can make sure you make the right choices when hiring:

• When interviewing them, ask them about how they dealt with previous co-workers. See if they had people they didn’t get along with and how they dealt with that situation.

• Give them a background check before hiring. This is an important step to see if your potential hire has spent time in jail, or is a registered sex offender. Just make sure that when you check them, the program you use follows FCRA compliance.

• Give them a personality test. See if they mesh well with the other personalities already employed.

• Have them shadow a current employee for a few hours. Check to see how quickly they pick up on stuff and whether they get along with the other staff members.

3. Stay organized and efficient

With quick growth, it can be difficult to stay up to date on all the paperwork you need to do. Insurance billing, patient records, and scheduling can all slip through the cracks. That’s why it’s necessary to set policies in stone to make sure that your business doesn’t suffer. If it’s becoming a little overwhelming, you might want to think about outsourcing your medical billing or patient processing.

4. Keep up with current trends

Make sure you keep up with current medical trends. It is important to keep attending conferences, even as a private practice owner. Who knows, you might discover your next specialization. It’s also a great way to network with your fellow doctors and help get referrals, which are always so helpful in getting new patients.

5. Consider Marketing

Increase your digital footprint to gain patients via the web. You can do this by having a strong SEO strategy, creating and maintaining a strong website, and providing a consistent and competent social media presence. When your patients get through the door, ask for some feedback, and if it is positive, ask them to rate you online.

These strategies are integral to building a strong and successful practice. Hopefully, you find some or all of them helpful.