April 12, 2022
Private healthcare companies always face an uphill battle in trying to prove their worth to consumers. People need to pay for different healthcare services - but why should someone choose your business over others? What are you doing differently? Or, to phrase it another way, how can you do things differently when compared to other healthcare businesses?
It boils down to the concept of value-added healthcare. Simply put, you must show your services are more valuable than others. A multitude of ideas springs to mind here, though what if you focused on tactical outsourcing? It’s a smart (and cost-effective) way of adding value to any healthcare business, but only if done correctly. Read on to discover more…
“Tactical” outsourcing is when you carefully decide what to outsource in your business. There’s an obvious solution for healthcare companies; outsource other care providers to enhance your services and provide more options for customers.
For instance, you can work closely with a sports massage therapist and sell their services in your healthcare business. People can book massages and they’ll get them from a seasoned professional with years of experience. You don’t have to hire somebody, yet you’ve diversified your services and this can reel in more patients. You’re adding value to your overall service by catering to different healthcare concerns under one roof.
Moreover, outsourcing can extend to certain companies that provide medical technology for you to utilise. Many private healthcare companies will work with mobile X-ray teams that can then provide MRI scans, CT scans, and other scans for the company’s patients. Rather than referring the patient to another hospital, you can now provide these services thanks to outsourcing! Again, more value is added, improving your overall business plan while keeping patients happy.
On the topic of keeping patients happy, outsourcing serves as a way to help you provide a better experience for everyone who interacts with your healthcare business. Utilise an MSO for doctors to outsource all of the main administrative tasks in your company. The Management Services Organisation now handles tasks like managing patient records, scheduling patients, ensuring compliance with healthcare regulations, etc.
Having a team of people handling these tasks frees up the care providers in your practice to focus on, well, exactly that; being a care provider! Less time is spent handling the admin side of things, so more time can be spent working with patients. This example of outsourcing could free up more time in your schedule to either:
In either case, patients will have a better experience as it should be easier to book appointments as more can be made available, or they won’t feel rushed when their appointment comes as the care provider is desperately trying to stick to a cramped schedule.
Just like that, your healthcare business is a much better place for patients. They get a higher level of care and their general experience interacting with your company is improved. When patients enjoy and appreciate an enhanced experience, they’ll leave you positive reviews or recommend you to others. From here, you can start expanding your customer base with an influx of new customers while retaining many of your existing ones.
You should also use outsourcing to enhance the booking process for patients. As well as freeing up time to allow for more appointments and longer consultations, you can let exterior providers handle the booking side of things. The goal is to streamline the booking process for patients, making it easier for them to find the right appointment and book it.
Two key ideas are useful here:
Both approaches are excellent as they give patients multiple ways of getting in touch. Those who prefer to call someone can do so while those who’d rather have a streamlined online booking system can opt for that.
In both instances, you make it easier for patients to make a booking. This is super beneficial as lots of patients may choose a healthcare company purely based on how easy it is to book. Moreover, if someone enjoys the simplicity of your booking system, they are far more likely to return as a loyal customer many times over.
All the while, as you’re outsourcing, you aren’t dealing with the rising costs of hiring loads of new employees. You can have one main office assistant plus plenty of virtual assistants manning the telephones alongside an online booking system.
We must round off this post with a discussion about the most beneficial part of outsourcing. It saves a fortune for your healthcare business. All of the things we’ve discussed above would be impractical to put in place if you handled them all in-house. Think about how many new employees you’d have to hire - then consider the additional costs of sick pay, benefits, a 401(k), etc.
It’s challenging to grow a healthcare business while keeping the overheads low, but tactical outsourcing lets you do exactly that. In spending less money running your company, you also benefit from widening your potential profit margins. The less you spend, the lower you can offer your service rates. It doesn’t matter if they’re a bit less than what you hoped; you’re saving enough money through outsourcing to counter this and still make a large profit.
In conclusion, outsourcing adds so much value to a private healthcare business. You’re in one of the most competitive landscapes out there, so you have to try everything to stay above the competition. While doing so, you must realise that outsourcing only works when you use it correctly. That’s why the points we’ve spoken about are excellent to keep in mind. They improve your company in multiple ways, allowing you to unleash your true potential and be the best healthcare provider possible.
