When you’re providing end-of-life care, most of your patients likely come from referrals from primary care physicians, hospitals, and other care providers. However, these providers are likely referring patients to multiple agencies. To get more hospice referrals, you need to stand out. Follow these tips on how to increase hospice referrals and start guiding more patients through this difficult time in their lives.
4 Effective Strategies for Increasing Hospice Referral Rates
In businesses with a human impact, your goals are likely centered around offering great end-of-life care and improving patient outcomes, but you still have to make money to offer this care. This is where improving your referral sources comes in. Learning how to get hospice referrals will help you provide better care for your patients.
1. Build and Maintain Relationships With Physicians
In the medical field, personal relationships are often the best marketing. When physicians know you offer excellent palliative care in your facility, they are more likely to refer hospice patients to you. Talk to local physicians and attend networking events and seminars.
Visit clinics and hospitals to see how they manage patients. Ask them what they look for in a hospice agency for patients with an incurable disease. Once you’ve built the relationship, maintain it by staying in touch.
2. Create Educational Content About Hospice Care
Content marketing is an effective way to get your name out there and enhance your credibility. Launch a blog and post regularly about the benefits of hospice care and other relevant topics to educate patients and physicians alike. Host webinars or use your agency’s social media presence to host live videos in which patients and physicians can ask questions about hospice.
By using communications to inform and educate, you enhance your brand and make it easier for physicians to refer patients to your agency.
3. Demonstrate How Your Organization Improves Quality of Life
The physicians referring their patients to your agency may have worked tirelessly with each patient to try and help them before deciding that hospice care was the best course of action. They want to trust that they are turning their patients over to a caring provider who will help improve the quality of the life they have left.
When you’re creating content, highlight how you help patients make the best of their time. Showcase your commitment to care by joining a reputable organization and speaking about the benefits of hospice care.
4. Streamline the Referral Process Using Automated Technology
Hospice care for patients depends on timely referrals. By automating your referral process, you can help make it easy for your patients and their physicians. Use electronic medical records and other technology to quickly enter and process data. Find tools that allow your team to make sure they have all the data they need to process the referral and get the patient into your facility as quickly as possible.
When your referral process is easy, physicians may be more likely to refer patients.
A Referral Management Solution That Helps You Provide Timely Care
WorldView offers the tools you need to manage your referrals and start caring for patients faster. Speed up the referral process by scanning and sending referrals to the EMR. We also have dashboards that let you assess each referral and identify missing information that could delay the intake process.
Get more hospice referrals with WorldView by scheduling a demo today.
