She added that her number is in the phone book, but the act of giving her number to the patient makes a strong impression. "I give them my number because I like them to know that I'm genuinely concernedthat if they have a problem, I'm there for them."
Although she has given her e-mail address to some patients, "I prefer to keep it to phone calls, but I do have patients who e-mail me when they travel abroad."
A team approach is especially important in an aesthetic practice, Dr. Weinkle advised. "The first posttreatment day … I have one of my assistants call to check on the patients and see how they are. … Care and concern for the patients you've treated are very important, so that the patients feel comfortable in coming back to see you."
▸ Respect your patients' time. Dr. Weinkle went on to note that timely scheduling is another important aspect of retaining patients and getting referrals. "We abuse our patients' time. They sit in our offices across the country, waiting to see the doctor. … I've been in practice for 25 years. If I [were] a dermatologist starting my practice, I would try very diligently not to make patients wait."
This can be difficult, she acknowledgedespecially for surgeons. "You can't always totally predict how much time a surgery is going to take … [but] cosmetic procedures take longer than most dermatologists think. We're used to scheduling a lot of patients a day in dermatology[it's a] high-volume practice. But as you transform your practice into a more aesthetic practice, you have to be aware that these procedures are more time consuming."
She noted that the injection of fillers tops the list of time-consuming procedures. "You have to take your time to do it, and the consultation [takes time], in terms of explaining and understanding what the patient's wants and desires are, what their needs are, and what you see, what you can offer to the patientthose are all important considerations."
▸ Try to keep pain to a minimum. Another key to building a successful practice is taking every measure to minimize patient discomfort, Dr. Weinkle noted. "The less you hurt patients, the more they're going to look forward to coming back to you. … Do any of us look forward to going to a dentist?"
▸ Let patients know you're on the cutting edge by staying up to date on the latest research. Dr. Hexsel believes that the cachet of offering cosmetic procedures can benefit the rest of the practice. "When I started my practice, I started as a general dermatologist. And I believe that the cosmetic procedures increased the dermatology practice," she said.
She emphasized the importance of letting patents know that their dermatologist is up to date on the newest procedures and research. "We let patients know that we go to the meetings and that we are doing only the procedures that we are sure are safe and that can give them good results."
Dr. Baumann agreed. "A great way to build a practice is to do research projects. … A clinical-trial business helps increase your visibility by generating interviews on new technology. Patients realize that you are cutting edge when you perform the clinical trials that lead to FDA approval."
The same sentiment was shared by Dr. Grablowitz, who noted that she spends a great deal of time traveling to medical meetingswhich is stressful but necessary to become well known among your peers, she said. For her, this professional renown has led device manufacturers to come to her with new products so that she is often the first in her area to offer a new procedureanother factor, she believes, in bringing new patients to her practice.
'Something that Ithink helped a lot to improve my practice was to give interviews for the media.' DR. HEXSEL
Spending a lot of time traveling to medical meetings is necessary to become known among your peers. DR. GRABLOWITZ