Please Come,Please Stay !Please Come,Please Stay !Dr Aniruddha MalpaniDr Aniruddha Malpani

Being a doctor today is not easyBeing a doctor today is not easy

Struggle to surviveStruggle to survive

Too much competitionToo much competition

Too little Too little reimbursement reimbursement

Common response – work even Common response – work even harder !harder !

Run around from clinic to Run around from clinic to clinic, hospital to hospitalclinic, hospital to hospitalOnly 24 hours in a day !Only 24 hours in a day !No time No time for for yourselfyourselfor your or your family family

Need to work smarter – not Need to work smarter – not harder !harder !

Every doctor is an entrepreneurEvery doctor is an entrepreneur

Needs to run a businessNeeds to run a business

Some doctors never Some doctors never

learn, and struggle learn, and struggle

to manageto manage

This talk will focus on only 2 This talk will focus on only 2 areasareas

1. Marketing1. Marketing

2. Information 2. Information TherapyTherapy

What is Marketing ?What is Marketing ?A doctor needs patients – and A doctor needs patients – and you will not have patients you will not have patients unless they are aware of your unless they are aware of your services !services !

Making patients aware of Making patients aware of your services is called your services is called marketingmarketing

Marketing is NOT Advertising Marketing is NOT Advertising

Your patients are looking for you – do they know how to find you ?

Marketing in the pastMarketing in the past

Doctors have always Doctors have always marketed themselvesmarketed themselves

Traditionally, it has been Traditionally, it has been “word of mouth” marketing. “word of mouth” marketing. This is still the best type, but This is still the best type, but it takes time. it takes time.

Marketing – the good and the Marketing – the good and the ugly !ugly !

Some doctors market Some doctors market themselves by offering cuts and themselves by offering cuts and kickbackskickbacks

Why gift half your hard earned Why gift half your hard earned professional incomeprofessional incomeaway ?away ?

There are better There are better solutions ! solutions !

Medicine is a competitive Medicine is a competitive marketmarket

Simple fact of life - There are more Simple fact of life - There are more patients than there are doctors!patients than there are doctors!

Why should patients come to Why should patients come to youyou ? ?

Word of mouth takes a long time !Word of mouth takes a long time !

Marketing is ethical !Marketing is ethical !

Patients need doctors and doctors Patients need doctors and doctors need patients. This means a market need patients. This means a market existsexistsHow do patients find the best How do patients find the best doctor ?doctor ?Unethical options are the norm todayUnethical options are the norm today

Healthier option - go to where the Healthier option - go to where the

patients are – patients are – the internet !the internet !

You need your own website !You need your own website !

Patients are hungry for reliable Patients are hungry for reliable information. The internet is an information. The internet is an excellent source of information, but a excellent source of information, but a lot of this can be wrong. This can be lot of this can be wrong. This can be a pain for doctorsa pain for doctors

Better to provide reliable information Better to provide reliable information to your patients through your own to your patients through your own websitewebsite

Patients trust you !Patients trust you !

Doctor = “docere” = teach !Doctor = “docere” = teach !

Does it work ?Does it work ?

Yes ! Yes !

Our website at Our website at www.drmalpani.comwww.drmalpani.com has become our primary source of has become our primary source of referrals referrals

Over 5000 Over 5000

Visitors daily !Visitors daily !

Marketing Marketing

Infertile patients are highly Infertile patients are highly motivated. Will spend hours on motivated. Will spend hours on the net looking for solutions to the net looking for solutions to their problems. their problems.

RTI Act - patients have a Right RTI Act - patients have a Right to Information too !to Information too !

Reliable websites created by Reliable websites created by doctors educate patients and doctors educate patients and improve medical care. improve medical care.

Benefits of a website Benefits of a website (for patients)(for patients)

Transparent – you cannot lie or Transparent – you cannot lie or cheat. Have to document your cheat. Have to document your prices , your success rates and prices , your success rates and your services !your services !

They can shop around from the They can shop around from the comfort of their home – and comfort of their home – and compare clinics !compare clinics !

How does a website help you ?How does a website help you ?

Your website can help you to attract Your website can help you to attract new patients - patients will travel new patients - patients will travel long distances to have a baby ! long distances to have a baby !

Patients in India will soon routinely “ Patients in India will soon routinely “ research “ their doctors,research “ their doctors,

just like they do in USA. just like they do in USA.

Internet positive patients Internet positive patients are affluential and are affluential and influential !influential !

Website benefitsWebsite benefits

Your website lets your patients know Your website lets your patients know that you are familiar with modern that you are familiar with modern technology ! Improves their comfort technology ! Improves their comfort level with an unknown doctorlevel with an unknown doctorAt our website at At our website at http://www.DrMalpani.comhttp://www.DrMalpani.com - we - we answer over 100 queries a dayanswer over 100 queries a dayGet direct patient referrals from all Get direct patient referrals from all over the world !over the world !

Email versus TelephoneEmail versus Telephone

Email is our preferred mode of Email is our preferred mode of communication. communication. Everything is documented, so there’s Everything is documented, so there’s no confusion ! no confusion ! I can provide intelligent guidance.I can provide intelligent guidance. They can share this information with They can share this information with family members.family members.Improves my productivity Improves my productivity

Website benefitsWebsite benefits

Lets you interact with doctors and Lets you interact with doctors and specialists from all over the world, so specialists from all over the world, so that you can showcase your skills that you can showcase your skills and publish interesting data onlineand publish interesting data online

Indian patients want information Indian patients want information about facilities available inIndia. By about facilities available inIndia. By providing this information, you providing this information, you establish yourself as a credible establish yourself as a credible expertexpert

Website benefitsWebsite benefits

Excellent form of CME. Because you Excellent form of CME. Because you need to update your website all the need to update your website all the time, you need to keep upto date !time, you need to keep upto date !Get an international perspectiveGet an international perspective

Website benefitsWebsite benefits

Excellent way to educate patientsExcellent way to educate patients

IVF videos onlineIVF videos online

Reassures patientsReassures patients

Saves me time- I do not have to Saves me time- I do not have to explain the basics to every patientexplain the basics to every patient

How to publish your websiteHow to publish your website

This is the electronic face of your This is the electronic face of your clinic – don’t skimp on it !clinic – don’t skimp on it !

Important for your brand image and Important for your brand image and your reputationyour reputation

www.websitefordoctors.inwww.websitefordoctors.in

Isn’t this too expensive ?Isn’t this too expensive ?

Very cost-effective – if you get even Very cost-effective – if you get even one more patient, you have one more patient, you have recovered your investment !recovered your investment !

What to do What to do

See what other clinics are doing– See what other clinics are doing– but don’t plagiarise !but don’t plagiarise !

Make it easy for patients to Make it easy for patients to contact you through your contact you through your website using emailwebsite using email

Send out ezines to keep in touch Send out ezines to keep in touch with your patientswith your patients

What to do What to do

Promote your website actively Promote your website actively ( visiting cards, stationery) ( visiting cards, stationery)

Update content frequently !Update content frequently !

Use local languagesUse local languages

Submit to search enginesSubmit to search engines

Link to related websites – and Link to related websites – and ask them to link to youask them to link to you

Worries and concerns Worries and concerns

I do not understand technology. I I do not understand technology. I cannot use a computer. I cannot cannot use a computer. I cannot typetype

I do not have the time !I do not have the time !

All excuses – don’t underestimate All excuses – don’t underestimate your skills ! your skills !

If you do not put up your website, If you do not put up your website, you will soon have all the time in the you will soon have all the time in the worldworld

Future – Patient PortalsFuture – Patient Portals

Interface between your website Interface between your website and your clinic’s EMR ( Electronic and your clinic’s EMR ( Electronic Medical Record)Medical Record)

Patients can access their medical Patients can access their medical records onlinerecords online

Increases patient’s loyalty to Increases patient’s loyalty to your clinicyour clinic

What not to do What not to do

Signs of a bad websiteSigns of a bad website

Don’t bother to update the Don’t bother to update the websitewebsite

Don’t reply to emailsDon’t reply to emails

Have dead or broken linksHave dead or broken links

Poor grammar or mis-spellingPoor grammar or mis-spelling

Please PrescribePlease Prescribe InformationInformation ! !

Information Therapy is Information Therapy is the Best Medicine !the Best Medicine !

Carrot and stickCarrot and stick

1. Promote your practise1. Promote your practise–Well informed patients are more Well informed patients are more

faithfulfaithful–Differentiate yourself from other Differentiate yourself from other

doctorsdoctors

2. Protect you from lawsuits2. Protect you from lawsuits–Document that you have educated Document that you have educated

your patientyour patient

BenefitsBenefits

Patients forget over half of what Patients forget over half of what you tell them, because of the you tell them, because of the stress of the consultation. stress of the consultation.

Giving them printed materials to Giving them printed materials to read at home will help prevent read at home will help prevent midnight calls . midnight calls .

Best form of CME for the Best form of CME for the doctor !doctor !

The well-informed patient can teach The well-informed patient can teach you much more about medicine than you much more about medicine than any textbook ! any textbook !

Can be a great research Can be a great research

assistant because they assistant because they

Search for information on Search for information on

the web ! the web !

Helps to teach you empathyHelps to teach you empathy

Reading information intended for Reading information intended for the patient can teach you to look the patient can teach you to look at things from the patient’s point at things from the patient’s point of view.of view.

Reduce risk of complicationsReduce risk of complications

Doctors are human and may make Doctors are human and may make errors . The well-informed patient errors . The well-informed patient can point out problems with your can point out problems with your treatment that you may overlook (for treatment that you may overlook (for example, patients with G6PD example, patients with G6PD deficiency)deficiency)

Reduce medicolegal risksReduce medicolegal risks

Patient education is an integral Patient education is an integral part of “risk management” in part of “risk management” in medical practice todaymedical practice today

This reduces your This reduces your risk of being sued risk of being sued if complications do if complications do occur.occur.

Who has the time ?Who has the time ?

Use assistants to do thisUse assistants to do this

Refer your patients to your Refer your patients to your website website

DVDs from PEAS – DVDs from PEAS – www.peasonline.comwww.peasonline.com

www.peasonline.comwww.peasonline.com

Information Therapy for Doctors Information Therapy for Doctors

Your professional Your professional knowledgebase is your biggest knowledgebase is your biggest asset. As medical science asset. As medical science progresses, you need to keep up progresses, you need to keep up with current trends.with current trends.Otherwise you may find your Otherwise you may find your patients know more than you patients know more than you do !do !

Wish list for the perfect website Wish list for the perfect website for doctors ?for doctors ?

For doctors onlyFor doctors only

From world’s leading medical From world’s leading medical publishers publishers

Both medical text books and Both medical text books and medical journals - FULL-TEXTmedical journals - FULL-TEXT

Covers all specialtiesCovers all specialties

Ad-free !Ad-free !

Solution !Solution !

www.mdconsult.comwww.mdconsult.com

World’s largest online medical libraryWorld’s largest online medical library

Only Rs 9995 per yearOnly Rs 9995 per year

You can be proud of your You can be proud of your knowledgebaseknowledgebase

Educate your colleaguesEducate your colleagues

www.healthlibrary.comwww.healthlibrary.com

The golden ruleThe golden rule

Patients are the practise - everything Patients are the practise - everything else is just paper work !else is just paper work !

Doctors have the best emotional Doctors have the best emotional income in the world !income in the world !

Happy patients = Happy patients =

Happy doctors !Happy doctors !

The joy of being a doctor !The joy of being a doctor !www.thebestmedicalcare.comwww.thebestmedicalcare.com