Get a head start on 2022 with the 7 most influential tips for leveling up your PT practice. Gain valuable insight into practice management, marketing, and other tips to help you get ahead of the competition.
2020 and 2021 are some of the wildest years physical therapists have faced to date. But 2022 perhaps holds a silver lining—predictability. Looking ahead is giving physical therapists hope they'll see some return to normalcy. And as everything comes back online, practices need to create meaningful changes. the type of changes that bring in more patients and revenue.
So how can the prudent practice owner get ahead?
In this guide, you'll find the top 7 tips for leveling up your PT practice before 2022.
Every great PT practice's outreach efforts should start with an excellent website. If you're in the second half of 2021 without a website that converts onlookers into patients—it's time to get going. Virtually everyone conducts online research before seeing a physical therapist, but your website serves many additional functions, including:
Every PT practice owner should consider regular website refreshes and take inspiration from others to master the look at feel of their site. Try using drag-and-drop web builders like Wix or Squarespace for an effortless experience. Practice owners should also seek advice from marketing professionals if they're not hip to the latest SEO and marketing trends.
Setting up your website like a pro will help you convert patients, but it doesn't meaningfully work to go out and attract more (SEO aside). Marketing trends are moving towards an all-digital experience, so getting ahead of the competition is vital. Practice owners who use marketing mediums such as social media, paid advertisements, and blogs, can boost traffic to their website and build a trusted brand name.
This strategy (and what platforms you use to advertise) should be tailored to your target audience—the people who keep the lights on at your clinic. For instance, if your patients are skewed demographically, use a reference like Sprout Social to determine the most effective social media platform. While you should continually expand these marketing efforts, taking on too many at once can dilute your messaging and ability to engage with readers. Determine how often you'd like to post and allocate the labor before branching out onto new platforms.
Career growth is monumental for individuals working in the fast-paced, demanding field of physical therapy. Practice owners can inspire better performance, productivity, and job satisfaction by setting transparent performance goals for their PTs sooner rather than later.
These goals should contain a mixture of hard and soft metrics. A few examples include:
Ask PTs if they have any "blockers" while reaching for these goals and if you can help. Physical therapy is a balance between skill, patience, and being personable with patients. Find the areas PTs are struggling with and identify what's explicitly holding them back.
Keeping a steady flow of patients should always be on your to-do list. Gaining a new referral source can create a spider web of connections and significantly boost future business. Reach out to local physicians and set up some time to talk. Bring a brochure or presentation about the services you provide and illustrate how they'll benefit their patients.
However, be careful of the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute, a rule that states physicians can't refer a patient covered by a federal healthcare program to your physical therapy practice in exchange for money or monetary gifts. Providing the facts about how physical therapy helps patients recover is enough.
One of the best ways to level up your PT practice before 2022 is to gather and analyze patient feedback. The best criticism often comes from patients actually receiving therapy. You could include an email or SMS survey after patients visit your practice to get immediate feedback. Or you could shadow a patient's experience from start to finish (with their consent, of course). Take the feedback you receive and use it to improve systems and processes and individual PT performance.
Your immediate community is a great place to build valuable connections. Get involved with local schools, senior care facilities, and non-profit organizations to develop your brand image while helping those who genuinely need it. Search or ask around to find a place to volunteer in your local footprint. Physical therapy is often beneficial, but making it flow can be difficult. Practice owners need to be wary at first to ensure patients are still receiving the best care possible. It’s important to note, team-based care isn’t for every practice—but keep an open mind. They say a rising tide lifts all boats, which can happen when PTs work together towards a common goal.
For most practices, team care will result in a more complete patient care experience.
Being an industry leader takes a profound knowledge of the physical therapy profession, but that's not all. Moving away from the pack means applying that knowledge in valuable, easy-to-digest content. Whether you're holding webinars, sending out a weekly newsletter, or posting on social media—ensure you have a purpose.
PT practice owners who upgrade their operations—even incrementally—will get a leg up on the competition. Start by increasing your digital presence through website updates and boost your efforts on the marketing front using industry-leading content. After you've augmented your online presence, get involved with the local community by volunteering, connecting with physicians, and speaking with your previous patients. As the gears start to turn, ensure your team is performing by setting and reviewing goals often.
And if this seems like a lot—well, it can be. Practice owners hardly have the luxury of time while juggling one or many clinics. If you're struggling to level up your business, why not automate your practice management? With our all-in-one PT software, you and your staff gain all the tools you need for effortless billing, telehealth, EMR, and many other processes. We're so confident you'll love our software, we're offering a totally free demo. Try it out, no strings attached, and see how MWTherapy makes PT practice management easy.
