Almost 18 months ago, nearly every scheduled elective health procedure was canceled as a result of the global lockdown. Perhaps you were one of the thousands of practices scheduled to have “elective” procedures, such as a knee or hip replacement, or shoulder surgery cancelled, and you were in need of more patients.
I use the term “elective” loosely, because, as you know, those living with chronic orthopedic pain most likely do not consider any procedure to remedy it as elective. However, at a time of crisis, these types of surgeries are considered a much less urgent need than those who need hospitalization to treat life-threatening symptoms, and rightly so.
As the pandemic raged on and shutdowns continued, many patients had to put orthopedic surgeries on hold. In fact, orthopedics and benign diseases incurred the highest cancelation rates during the pandemic.
Then, as restrictions lifted and life began to resume, it created an influx of patients needing to schedule their long-awaited knee, hip, shoulder, and other orthopedic surgeries. This influx posed a new problem: Having enough medical staff to accommodate the line of people wishing to pick up where they left off and move toward improved orthopedic health. Estimates determined that it could take up to 45 weeks to address this backlog of elective surgeries.
What does this mean for your orthopedics practice?
In addition to being busier than ever with rescheduled procedures, it could potentially mean more patients rave reviews for your office. More positive reviews means increased online visibility, and that leads to more patients that will increase your revenue. So, how do you go about getting reviews from your happiest, most satisfied patients?
An easy-to-use Online Review Management system is a great way to get reviews from current patients. The best thing about SocialClimb’s Online Review Management system is that it is totally automated and integrates seamlessly with your practice management software.
Because, let’s face it—your orthopedics team already has their hands full managing patients in the office, scheduling follow-up appointments, and offering a great patient experience. Nobody on your team needs more work on their already full plates.
What’s the next best thing about SocialClimb’s Online Review Management system? All the positive reviews, of course!
Get more reviews in minutes
Since it takes a minute or less for a patient to leave an honest review via text or email, reviews about your practice come pouring in and automatically post to relevant sites like Google, Healthgrades, and Facebook. These are the sites your future orthopedic patients are perusing when searching for an orthopedic surgeon or specialist to schedule their long-awaited knee replacement, physical therapy, or sports injury treatment.
Why more reviews matter to your orthopedics practice
You might be thinking, “If there’s a backlog of orthopedic patients waiting to be treated, why do I need more reviews?” That’s a valid question, and we have a simple answer: Patients are searching for the most trustworthy, friendliest, most competent orthopedic surgeons in their city.
Without positive reviews, potential patients won’t find you as easily because you won’t rank high enough in search engines. So, when someone types “orthopedic surgeon near me” into their Google search bar, your practice might not show up in a way that a prospective patient will click on the link to your website.
Consequently, if your online reviews and physician ratings don’t match the level of care you’re providing, people will miss out on a great experience and schedule treatment with another physician instead.
Secure your top position in search results
Great reviews coming in will help your Google My Business (GMB) listing hit the top of Google’s Local 3-Pack of search results, and that’s exactly what needs to happen when someone searches for “orthopedic surgeon near me.” Some of the practices we work with grab two of the top three spots!
However, Google sometimes puts ads on top of the 3-pack of GMB listings. In those cases, people have to scroll down to find your listing. Placing an ad on top of search results improves your visibility even more.
In addition, some people search for a specific practice or doctor they’ve heard of. If someone is searching for a practice or a doctor by name, it’s pretty inexpensive to make sure you show up at the top of results with a brand ad.
Think of it as a little insurance policy to make sure you’re seen at the right time and right place.
COVID impacted orthopedic patients in ways we couldn’t have imagined. Now that we’re back up and running, make sure your practice is ready to handle the influx of patients who are looking for you right now.
Give SocialClimb a call today or click the button to schedule a demo.
Thank you very much for sharing, I learned a lot from your article. Very cool. Thanks. nimabi