7 Strategies for Chiropractic Patient Retention

7 Key Strategies for Chiropractic Patient Retention

What is more important for running a successful chiropractic practice? Attracting new patients, or retaining existing ones? The answer might surprise you.

If you attract a new patient, there is a small chance (5-20%) that they will book another appointment. Whereas, the likelihood of a loyal patient booking follow-up appointments is much higher (60-70%).

Patient retention is more cost-effective than patient acquisition.

Not only is it 5 times cheaper to retain patients, it is more profitable. Increasing patient retention by as little as 5% can increase profit by 25-95%.

This shows how important it is for healthcare providers to take a patient-centric approach to patient intake and practice management.

A 2024 study shows that receiving poor quality care is the main reason why patients leave negative reviews. This can damage your practice’s reputation and potentially lead to revenue.

To prevent this, practices need to focus on building lasting relationships with patients. Here are some key strategies to help you increase your patient retention rate.

1. Build Strong Patient-Doctor Relationships Finding a chiropractor whom you can trust is very important for patients. In order to earn the trust and confidence of your patients, you need certain qualifications, and the approval of your past patients.
   
   Seeing positive reviews from past patients encourages potential patients to book appointments and even follow through with treatment plans.
   
   Another way that you can build a strong patient-doctor relationship is by involving the patient in the process. Whether it is explaining the treatment plan or discussing a patient’s lifestyle to build personalized plans, the simple act of listening can do wonders for encouraging repeat visits.
   
   Talking to patients can make it easier to gather crucial details about their medical history. Sometimes, patients might need a little encouragement and support to open up, in which case trusting your provider is key to positive outcomes and patient satisfaction.
   
   While building rapport with the patients is important, it is important to note that nothing beats quality patient care. In fact, 4 out of 5 patients will leave the practice after the second poor experience, which can be detrimental for patient retention.

2. Educate Patients About Their Care Plans Patients need to know the ‘why’ if you expect them to continue treatment. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But it is in fact very difficult to explain to the patient what the root cause of their condition is.
   
   Nevertheless, it is important that you try. Whether it is through diagrams, models or software, treatment plans need to be explained in detail. This way the patient resonates with the importance of following the steps you’ve laid out.
   
   It is not that patients doubt your expertise, sometimes, they just struggle with consistency. That’s why education can make such a huge difference in patient experience and, most importantly, their healing.
   
   In dental practices, visual aids such as models can help patients better understand their condition. In case of chiropractic practices, educational videos and tutorials of rehabilitation exercises can be used to educate patients.
   
   Patients value the treatments you offer more when you make medical information accessible. This way, they can refer back to the guides and prevent reinjury.

3. Use Technology for Engagement Healthcare practices can use technology to enhance engagement, prioritize patient experiences, and improve practice operations. By automating administrative tasks such as appointment reminders, review requests, and follow-ups, practices can focus on business expansion.
   
   You can use software solutions such as DemandHub to streamline patient interactions and add a personal touch to all your messages. This could include exclusive healthcare tips and resources, allowing you to build a deeper connection with practices.
   
   Another great use of technology in the healthcare industry is providing telehealth services to patients in an attempt to make healthcare more accessible. This includes virtual consultations and remote follow-ups.
   
   Using HIPAA compliant software solutions such as DemandHub give your practice a competitive advantage. Creating patient portals and incorporating EHR systems further ensures that patient privacy is protected and practices remain transparent, to foster lasting relationships.

4. Collect and Act on Patient Feedback To improve patient retention it is absolutely essential for practices to have a system for collecting, acknowledging and implementing feedback. By using DemandHub practices can better understand where their patients are coming from, and improve healthcare services accordingly.
   
   One of the most effective ways of collecting feedback is through online reviews. Whether it is reviews on your Google Business Profile or Facebook, they are crucial for building your practice’s online reputation.
   
   Using DemandHub simplifies the process of responding to these reviews, and sending review invite links, ensuring that your patients can easily leave a review. DemandHub also provides users with a consolidated inbox that allows practices to find all their patient interactions in one place, making it easier to respond to them swiftly.

5. Offer Flexible Appointment Scheduling In order to encourage your patients to choose your practice, it is very important that you take into account their busy schedules. A flexible appointment schedule allows your patients to continue their treatments and prevents them from switching to a different healthcare provider.
   
   An example of this would be finding out that your patients need to reschedule at the last minute because they couldn’t find a babysitter. In order to increase patient retention levels, practices can offer their patients an alternative time slot.
   
   Not only does this show your patient that you care about their schedule and the personal challenges, you are re-inforcing that your practice is patient-centric.
   
   This also prevents no-shows, because if the patient is unable to reschedule, they will be left with no choice but to cancel. This is also true if your patient forgets to make it to their appointment. Providing flexible scheduling options gives you a chance to secure more bookings while promoting a positive patient experience.

6. Create a Comfortable Office Environment One of the factors that affect patient retention is the office environment. It leaves a lasting impression on your patient, and determines whether they feel comfortable, and welcome in the space.
   
   There are many ways you can make your patient feel more comfortable in the office and during the appointment. Consider using soothing colors as part of your interior design, combined with natural light. Using calming music can also elevate the experience for your patients.
   
   Provide your patients with amenities such as refreshments, reading material and WiFi. Using an online appointment scheduling tool can also simplify the intake process so that patients have to spend as little time in the waiting room as possible.
   
   The staff’s attitude also plays an important role in shaping the patient’s impression of your practice. We recommend using a friendly, and empathetic tone with patients so that they feel supported and welcomed in the space.
   
   If you can make your patient feel at ease is an essential part of earning their trust, when they are struggling with health issues and anxieties, they will gravitate towards your practice because they associate it with positive emotions such as comfort, respect and empathy.

7. Re-Engage Lapsed Patients Healthcare practices should prioritize their lapsed patients to recover lost revenue and opportunities. Patients can be re-engaged by using a practice management software that highlights which patients have been inactive, so you can share a personalized note to re-engage them.
   
   It is common for patients to discontinue treatment once their physical pain subsides, but before they have fully healed. It is also important to re-engage with patients that have lapsed to remind them to continue treatments, and to help them avoid re-injury.
   
   In this case, sharing educational resources can better guide patients to continue their sessions to achieve best results. By using DemandHub you can set up direct outreach campaigns to engage with patients, address their concerns, and adjust treatments to encourage them to continue sessions.

Increase Patient Retention with DemandHub

One of the most important components of patient retention is enhancing patient experiences. This is why it is so important to have a specialised software such as DemandHub managing different aspects of practice management and patient interactions.

DemandHub allows practices to leverage technology to streamline scheduling, enhance patient engagement levels and ensure better health outcomes for patients. This is a great way to improve patient retention, re-engage patients and improve your practice’s online reputation.

If you are interested in learning about DemandHubs’ features and how they enhance patient experiences, book a free demo today to find out.