Internal Referrals Are A Great Way to Improve Patient Care and Increase Revenue

What if I told you that you could unlock better healthcare access for your patients and boost your revenue at the same time?

You might be surprised how many of your patients are unaware of your health center's full range of services. They might come for primary care but miss out on your stellar dental clinic or integrated behavioral health services.

Increasing internal referrals will not only increase your patients' access to affordable, comprehensive healthcare but also increase revenue. More patients utilizing more than one of your services 🟰 more billable visits.

Think about ways to formalize your internal referral system so that patients don't fall through the cracks and don't get the services they need.

Here are some ideas for having a structured internal referral system.

✅Proactive Screenings: Use screenings to uncover challenges your patients face and tailor referrals accordingly. Integrate behavioral health, case management, and other services into your primary care screenings. Don't forget to screen your dental patients, OB patients, pharmacy utilizers, and any other patients to better understand which services to refer them to and do a warm handoff.

🤝 Warm Handoffs: Research shows that referring patients to another provider has a very low success rate. They forget or change their mind once they leave the appointment. If the care team can screen the patient and then introduce them to the provider they're referring them to, the chances of them following through on that referral go way up. If the provider isn't available, then introduce them to someone on the other care team who can help them schedule an appointment.

👁️ Strategic Signage: Make sure there are signs about all your services in patient areas. For example, if patients are sitting in the dental waiting room, have signs about your behavioral health services and instructions for making an appointment.

🗒️ Creative 'Prescriptions': Our health center used to have prescription pads specifically for prescribing patients to walk more. The pads had fun maps of the local walking paths, and the provider would give the patients a "prescription" to walk more using the pad. Hey, we all do what the doctor says, right? :) You could have a prescription pad with all your health center's services so the provider can "prescribe" to the patient based on their needs.

👉 Consistent Marketing: Every piece of communication should promote your services. Make sure your other services are front and center, whether it's an appointment reminder, invoice, or email.

Internal referrals are a great way to increase access to healthcare, increase revenue for your health center, and improve overall patient satisfaction.

Have a great weekend!

Jill

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