Reactivation: Reconnecting with Former Patients
Reactivation refers to the process of reconnecting with former patients who have not been seen in a while. These patients may have completed their plan of care, discontinued treatment, or simply lost touch with the physical therapy clinic. Reactivating these patients can be an effective way to fill up the PT clinic’s appointment calendar because they already have a relationship with the physical therapist and may be more likely to return for additional treatment with proper communication.
Strategies for Reactivating Former Patients
- Utilize Multi-Channel Strategies
- Avoid Salesy Follow-Up Strategies
- Implement the “Caring Provider Follow-Up” Strategies
The key to success is to stay connected with the patient as a caring provider, with multi-channel personalized communication. To effectively reconnect with former patients, it is important to ditch generic, standard newsletters and instead, tailor your communication to each individual patient. The standard newsletter approach may have been effective in the past, but with the constant flood of information in people’s inboxes from various providers such as dentists, chiropractors, insurance agents, and plumbers, it has become less effective and even annoying.
Differentiate yourself by adopting a personalized, multi-channel approach that demonstrates your commitment to your patients’ health above all else. Show that you are a caring provider who is invested in their well-being and success.
Maximizing Your Reach: Multi-Channel Communication Strategies
To effectively reconnect with former patients, it is important to utilize a variety of multi-channel communication strategies such as personalized email marketing, voice drops, SMS marketing, video marketing, and retargeting. With the aid of advanced technology and AI, personalized messages are now easier and have a higher success rate.
General messages when strategically incorporated with personalized messages can be successful. For instance, sending an email to former patients with updates on the clinic, including any new services or treatments that are now available. This will not only keep the former patients informed about the clinic but may also encourage them to book a follow-up appointment.
When done properly, reactivation can also lead to new patient recruitment through referrals from satisfied, reactivated patients. Direct mail and social media outreach can also be used as part of a retargeting strategy to bring back past patients.