Why Providers Should Never Stop Accepting New Patients

So, your practice is fully booked day-in and day-out, but you still shouldn’t close your doors to new patients. While this may feel overwhelming, we urge you to take it in stride. Read on to learn the three main reasons why doctors shouldn’t close their doors to new patients and the best way to handle a heavier patient load.

3 Reasons You Shouldn’t Reject New Patients

Patient Volume Fluctuates

Every provider will experience attrition, which means while you may be getting many new patients today, that may not be the case tomorrow. For long-term success, you should always accept new patients to keep your patient roster at a healthy level.

It is Bad for Business

It’s never a good idea to turn away customers, no matter what type of business you run. Once customers have been turned away, it is very unlikely that they will return or try to make another appointment. Plus, many people who find a doctor they like will refer friends and family members. If you are turning away these patients’ loved ones, they may end up leaving in the long run.

Temporary Closures Cause Uncertainty

While some amount of patient turnaround is normal, you don’t want to completely close yourself off from new patients. A move like that can make it hard for existing patients, insurers, and other doctors to keep track of your current status. Other physicians may even stop referring you because you may be unavailable for patients who need immediate medical attention.

How to Handle More Patients

Enhance Your EMR

To effectively treat a higher volume of patients, you must increase your efficiency. Integrating an EMR system with software can help your practice provide quality care while also boosting productivity. At DLM, we integrate with the top three EMR systems to match patient data against lead data for accurate revenue and operational metrics.

Automate Routine Office Tasks

With the right systems in place, more patients don’t have to strain your staff. While some tasks require a personal touch, basic tasks like appointment confirmations and reminders can be automated to allow for a streamlined experience. It also allows your staff more time to focus on new patients while also reducing later arrivals, no-shows, and cancellations.

Give patients More Control

An effective way to give patients more control of their experience with your practice is to allow for online scheduling. According to surveys, more than half of patients prefer digital interactions for tasks such as appointment scheduling and filling out forms. By providing online access to these tasks, new patients can complete forms in advance, making it easier to keep up with a busy schedule.

Give Us a Call

Are you ready to streamline your patient experience? To learn more about how our team at DLM can help you take on and keep more patients, contact our office today at 616-222-3735. You can also schedule a 15-minute demo to get started.