Are your patient acquisition strategies driving the results you want?
In 2022, 87.6% of people reported having a usual place to go for medical care.
This fact highlights two important things for health systems and the marketers who promote them to consider:
- Opportunity for Growth: 12.4% of the population still needs a regular healthcare provider. This represents a substantial opportunity for health systems to attract new patients by implementing targeted acquisition strategies.
- Potential for Conversion: Even though nearly 88% of people have a usual place for medical care, it doesn’t mean they are fully satisfied with their current provider. There is always potential for these individuals to switch to a new provider if they find better services, convenience, or care. This opens a door for health systems – who are ready and willing to take action – to attract these patients by showcasing their unique offerings.
Understanding these two points can help your organization better tailor its marketing strategies to grow its patient base. A well-structured patient acquisition strategy is essential for attracting people who do not currently have a healthcare provider and those who might be open to changing providers.
Below, we’ll talk about what patient acquisition is, why it’s so fundamental, and practical strategies for capitalizing on this opportunity to drive growth and revenue for your organization.
What is patient acquisition, and why is it so important?
Before we can talk about how to go after the remaining 12.4% of the market, first, it’s essential to understand what patient acquisition is and why it’s vital for health systems.
Patient acquisition is how healthcare providers attract and convert prospects into patients.
Even with hospitals recovering from one of the worst financial years in decades, back in 2022, a Kaufman Hall analysis revealed that 40% of hospitals are still losing money in 2024 and that “high-performing hospitals are effectively pulling away from the pack.”
Patient acquisition plays a vital part in how hospitals can continue on the road to financial recovery and get back to year-over-year patient and revenue growth.
What is the difference between patient acquisition and patient retention?
While patient acquisition focuses on drawing new patients into your practice, patient retention is the other side of the revenue growth coin worth mentioning.
Patient retention is about keeping your current patients engaged with your practice.
Acquisition fuels growth; whereas retention fosters stability and loyalty within your patient base and a consistent revenue stream for your organization. Acquisition fuels growth, whereas retention fosters stability and loyalty within your patient base and a consistent revenue stream for your organization.
To learn more about using engagement to create loyal patients, check out this article: What is Patient Engagement in Healthcare and Why is it Important?
10 Strategies for Improving Patient Acquisition
So, now that you know what patient acquisition is and how it fuels your health system’s growth, let’s look at ten different patient acquisition strategies that can help you attract more patients and enhance your overall outreach efforts.
1. Reach the Right Audience through the Right Channel at the Right Time
Research shows that when marketers use four or more channels to communicate with their audience, their campaigns can become 300% more effective.
This shows that you should invest in multi-channel and multi-cycle communications to maximize your patient acquisition efforts.
But if you want to maximize your results, not only do you have to use the right channel, but you must also be able to reach the right audience.
Here are some tips to consider:
- Segment Your Audience: Utilize data to segment your audience based on demographics, behaviors, and healthcare needs. Tailoring your messages to specific groups ensures that your content resonates more effectively, increasing engagement and conversion rates.
- Leverage Multiple Channels: Combine email, social media, direct mail, and in-person events to create a cohesive and comprehensive communication strategy. By diversifying your channels, you can reach your audience where they are most active and receptive.
- Optimize Timing: Analyze when your audience is most likely to engage with your content and schedule your communications accordingly. Sending messages at optimal times increases the likelihood of them being seen and acted upon, enhancing the overall impact of your campaigns.
To get a real-life example of the power of reaching the right audience at the right channel, check out how one of our community hospital clients used four channels to achieve a 54% engagement rate from prospects, resulting in almost 100 leads from their initial outreach!
2. Leverage Data and Predictive Analytics
Reaching the right audience at the right time requires access to data, but not just any data: high-quality consumer insights.
Go beyond clinical claims data and supplement with consumer data, including social determinants of health, to build a complete profile of your patients.
Once you have that data, you can apply predictive analytics to foresee trends and patient behavior.
- Integration of Data Sources: Combine data from electronic medical records (EMR), patient surveys, and online interactions to gain a comprehensive view of patient needs and habits.
- Predictive Models: Develop models to predict patient health trends and potential upswings in demand for specific treatments, allowing for timely and proactive interventions.
- Behavioral Insights: Analyze patient behaviors and preferences to tailor marketing strategies and healthcare offerings accordingly.
To learn more about using data and predictive analytics to boost your acquisition strategies, dive into these webinar replays and hear from experts on how to acquire high-value patients.
- Finding patient unicorns: How predictive propensity models power marketing ROI for Houston Methodist and St. Bernards
- Put data to use for patient acquisition: How top systems reach the right patients + increase ROI
- Data to dollars: How to use predictive analytics to accelerate marketing ROI
3. Create an Offline Marketing Campaign in Addition to your Online Campaign
Try pairing your digital strategies with traditional offline marketing to cast a wider prospect net.
Take, for example, one of our health system clients.
They used a direct mail campaign – and all the data and predictive models we’ve been discussing to convert new movers in their area into new patients.
Here’s what they were able to accomplish as a result:
Here are some other offline campaign ideas.
- Community Events: Participate in or sponsor local health fairs, seminars, and workshops to connect with potential patients.
- Traditional Media: Use targeted print ads, billboards, or radio spots in areas where you know there are a lot of people who might need your organization’s services.
- Health and Wellness Workshops: Organize free health and wellness workshops at local libraries, schools, or community centers. These workshops can cover topics like nutrition, stress management, and preventive care.
4. Invest in healthcare-specific software
We’ve already discussed many ways to optimize your patient acquisition strategies, and there are still many more to come!
But how do you manage all these strategies?
Where will you get that data from?
How can you show the ROI of all your hard work?
And how do you do more with less (smaller teams, smaller budget, etc.)?
That’s why you need a healthcare marketing CRM. A good healthcare marketing CRM can help you answer all those questions – and so much more.
Use specialized tools to gather data and analyze your market, effectively engage patients, and track the ROI of your acquisition campaigns.
- Real-time ROI: Ensure the CRM provides real-time tracking of your marketing campaigns’ ROI. This helps you quickly assess performance and make data-driven decisions.
- Access to Consumer and SDOH Data: Look for a CRM that integrates consumer and Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) data. This allows for more personalized and effective marketing strategies.
- A Team of Experts Who Can Help If You Get Stuck: Choose a CRM that offers access to a team of experts for support. Their guidance can help you troubleshoot issues and optimize your marketing efforts.
5. Offer Self-Scheduling Options
Gone are the days when customers had to put up with whatever experience a brand offered. Thanks to big retail brands, consumers are now conditioned to expect fast and easy experiences from the brands and businesses they interact with.
Your hospital and the experiences you create for your patients are no different.
One way to meet this consumer demand and help with your patient acquisition strategy is to make online booking options easy for patients. Allow them to book appointments on their own time by offering online self-scheduling systems.
Here’s how you can do just that.
- User-Friendly Platforms: Incorporate an intuitive and accessible online booking system on your website and mobile app.
- Integration with Existing Systems: Ensure the scheduling system integrates smoothly with your existing administrative and medical systems.
- Reminders and Notifications: Implement automated reminders and notifications to reduce no-shows and last-minute cancellations.
6. Develop your online presence & Create a Cohesive Brand
In today’s digital age, having a strong online presence isn’t just beneficial—it’s essential. A consistent and professional online brand instills trust and enhances recognition, making it easier for potential patients to choose your healthcare services.
Here are a few things you can do to develop your online presence and brand.
- Consistent Branding across Platforms: To enhance brand recognition, ensure your branding is uniform across all digital platforms, including social media profiles.
- Professional Website Design: Design a website that is aesthetically pleasing, easy to navigate, and mobile-friendly.
- Content Strategy: Develop a content strategy that highlights your expertise, promotes your services, and provides valuable health information.
7. Manage Your Online Reputation
Reviews are not just helpful when looking for a new restaurant to try over the weekend.
Patients looking for a provider are using reviews to help them determine where they will get the best care.
A survey by Software Advice, found that almost half of the participants would be willing to go to an out of network healthcare provider based on the positive patient reviews they read online.
This is why you need to manage your online reviews about your practice vigilantly and respond promptly and professionally.
- Active Monitoring: Regularly monitor online reviews across platforms like Google, Healthgrades, and Yelp.
- Professional Responses: Respond to both positive and negative reviews swiftly and professionally, demonstrating commitment to patient satisfaction.
- Reputation Improvement Strategies: Develop strategies to encourage positive reviews and mitigate the impact of negative ones.
8. Keep Your Current Patients Happy
At the beginning of this article, we briefly touched on patient retention and why it’s just as important as acquisition. Satisfied patients can be a source of referrals and positive testimonials for your organization.
How do you keep your loyal patient base happy?
- Quality Care: Consistently provide high-quality care and a favorable patient experience.
- Feedback and Improvements: Regularly gather and analyze patient feedback to identify areas for improvement.
- Engagement Programs: Implement patient loyalty programs or community-building events to deepen relationships.
9. Enable Your Patients to Make Decisions by Providing Them with Educational Resources
The healthcare system is complex. Most people don’t feel empowered to make informed healthcare decisions.
Focusing on creating educational content will allow your organization to build trust and credibility with your prospective patients and equip them to make informed decisions.
Here are a few examples of the types of helpful content you could create.
- Informative Content: Produce high-quality articles, videos, and infographics that inform and empower patients.
- Workshops and Webinars: Offer free or low-cost education sessions on key health issues affecting your community.
- Resource Centers: Develop an online resource center where patients can access reliable health information easily.
10. Establish referral partners
No one says you have to market your health system all alone.
Form alliances with other providers to create a referral network. Grow forward, together.
Here’s how you can get started.
- Network with Other Professionals: Build relationships with other health professionals who can refer patients to your practice.
- Mutual Benefit Agreements: Create agreements that benefit both parties, ensuring a steady flow of referrals.
- Community Health Partnerships: Engage with local community centers and non-profits to extend your network and community involvement.
How to Kickstart Your Patient Acquisition Strategy
Now that you know exactly what patient acquisition is, why it’s so fundamental to the sustained growth of your healthcare system, and are armed with many useful techniques, you can confidently implement these strategies to attract and retain more patients, ensuring the long-term success of your organization.
Implementing these strategies effectively requires a deep understanding of your service area’s unique opportunities and challenges. Without this insight, you could be missing significant revenue opportunities and failing to connect with the right patients, leaving money on the table.
At Personify Health, we want to help you expand your reach, serve more people, and grow your health system.
With our predictive analytics and social determinants of health (SDOH) data, we can help you find the patients most likely in need of your services (including high-value specialties like cardiology, oncology, and orthopedics), the best way to reach them, and how to get them to act.
If you want to use data to power your patient acquisition strategies, take our Free Service Line Growth Assessment to identify the most significant revenue opportunities within your key service lines and see the exact people in your area who are most likely to use those services.