The pandemic had a significant effect on the healthcare industry when it started. Hospitals and healthcare systems experienced losses of over $200 billion during the first four months of the health crisis. These losses came after hospitals had to delay non-essential procedures to ensure they had enough supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) as the number of cases increased.
Medical clinics saw revenues declining after patients opted to delay or cancel annual checkups to avoid getting infected. The situation forced many doctors to find work in hospitals and other medical institutions to have a source of income.
Even after improving the situation, medical clinics are still struggling to increase revenue since some people are still wary about the virus. Here are the things that medical clinics should do to increase revenue during the pandemic.
Increase Online Presence
With more people going to the Internet for their needs, medical clinics should also follow suit. They should increase their online presence and work towards connecting with their market. A website has become a requirement rather than an option since it allows service providers to reach their customers.
A website allows the clinic to engage with existing customers as well as reach out to potential patients. Aside from a website, the clinic should also create accounts on major social media platforms to connect with social media users across the country.
Enhance the Brand of the Clinic
Building a good brand is essential for many businesses to increase their revenue. When a clinic has a strong brand, it’s easier to reach out and connect with potential patients. It also allows the clinic to stand out in the market and build loyalty among its customers or patients.
But enhancing a brand takes a lot of hard work. The clinic should be systematic in identifying its unique selling proposition and what makes it stand out in the market. It should also work on communicating its brand to potential patients and build brand awareness in the market.
Working with healthcare PR companies offers a lot of benefits for clinics planning to enhance their brands. These companies use a host of digital marketing strategies to help boost the brand of these clinics. They also have the skills and expertise to increase brand awareness to increase potential revenue for the clinic.
Provide Excellent Patient Care
Since actions speak louder than words, medical clinics should focus on providing excellent patient care instead of simply promoting the services they offer in the market. To increase revenue, the clinic should increase patient volume. And people will visit clinics that provide proper care for their patients. So, medical clinics should exert effort in making the patient experience noteworthy.
Patients who receive excellent patient care will recommend the clinic to their family and friends if they need to consult a doctor. This word-of-mouth promotion is better than any online advertisement since people trust the recommendations of their family and friends.
So, the clinic should make sure all its staff members are on the same page in providing excellent patient care. Doing so can increase its revenue and allow it to stay open.
Leverage Technology
Developments in technology allowed many industries to expand even in the middle of a pandemic. With this, medical clinics should leverage technology to enhance productivity and increase efficiency in their staff. Digitizing records allows the staff to retrieve files of patients within minutes. It also facilitates efficiency when they manage insurance claims.
Technology also helps the clinic to manage appointments and ensure the accommodation of walk-ins. It allows the staff to send reminders of upcoming appointments to the patients of the clinic. Aside from increasing the efficiency and productivity of the staff, using technology also enhances patient experiences and gives the clinic a competitive advantage in the market. In this situation, revenue will increase, which will allow the clinic to expand.
Create New Revenue Sources
The pandemic highlighted the importance of having multiple sources of revenue for businesses to survive. With this, medical clinics should look into creating new revenue sources. While the clinic focuses on patient care, it should also consider opening an in-house pharmacy for the medication needs of its patients.
An in-house lab is another good revenue source since it allows the clinic to earn while facilitating the lab work that their patients need. Offering telehealth services also allows the clinic to tap a new market in its industry. The service enables the clinic to reach patients living in remote areas along with patients who cannot visit the clinic in person.
While the economy is starting to recover, medical clinics should also work on finding ways to increase their revenue in the middle of the pandemic.