Marketing Shared Appointments: Paradigm Shift in Healthcare [Podcast]

In this Marketing Podcast, Healthcare Success Co-Founder Lonnie Hirsch and author and speaker Neil Baum, MD discuss the patient and practitioner advantages of shared medical appointments. In this detailed conversation. Dr. Baum outlines how shared appointments are provided in his office, and the benefits that patients report when this option is available.

Healthcare delivery in the United States is experiencing a significant paradigm shift to find innovative ways to care for patients.

Traditionally, one-on-one patient/physician encounters have been the standard. But more recently doctors are using telemedicine and email to communicate with patients, for example. And now, the concept of shared medical appointments brings together many patients to improve efficiency, increase productivity, and to accelerate access to care with less appointment delay.

In speaking about shared medical appointments, Dr. Baum presents a practical and real-world look at how the concept is structured and presented in his office. Some of the topics he addresses in this podcast include:

• patient privacy and HIPAA considerations;
• types of cases that may be appropriate;
• benefits to patients, patient feedback and testimonials;
• provider personalities who may be suitable;
• what patients like about group appointments;
• positive group dynamics; and
• how shared appointments are presented in the office.

Dr. Baum describes how shared appointments are presented in his practice for specific types of medical conditions. Some of the benefits that he has found include:

• Patients are reassured by knowing they are not alone
• Patients often proceed with continuing medical care
• Direct feedback includes direct satisfaction surveys and testimonials
• Physician time is used more efficiently for a group
• Doctor-Physician communications is often more effective
• Physician online reputation is enhanced and improved
• Patients say they like it

Health care delivery is shifting to more efficient and effective methods that improve the quality of care. Shared Medical Appointments are a new means to facilitate better medicine.

For additional information on this topic, Dr. Baum’s publication is available online:

The Shared Medical Appointment: A Proposed Model of Medical Appointments

A unique clinic appointment model is introduced to increase access and clinical efficiency

while simultaneously providing a high degree of patient satisfaction.

Lonnie Hirsch

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Dr Neil H Baum

Dr. Neil Baum is a nationally recognized urologist, speaker and author. He has been in private practice in New Orleans, LA, since 1978 and is Associate Clinical Professor of Urology at Tulane Medical School and Louisiana State University Medical School. He is also a talented public speaker and entertaining magician. Dr. Baum has authored several books on marketing including Marketing Your Clinical Practice, Social Media for the Healthcare Practice, and Physician Reputation Management in the Age of Social Media.