Improve online presence — and reputation
“My long-term patients were very pleased with the treatment they received. They tended to be elderly, and probably gave me five stars because they believed I was keeping them alive,” Dr. Krause jokes.
“But I was getting one-star reviews from younger people, who wanted a more modern online experience. They preferred to find a doctor using an online search, using comparative assessments by other patients. Also, they didn’t want to spend time on the phone to make an appointment. It’s funny, but some of my older patients saw those low ratings, and came in just to check for themselves if my care was still good. I realized it was time to get some help.”
PatientPop for Google searches and reputation management
When Kareo announced they were merging with PatientPop to form Tebra, Dr. Krause saw a possible answer. ”By creating a better website for us, and managing search engine optimization, I realized that PatientPop could help enhance my reputation. I liked the fact that it integrated with Kareo, so we wouldn’t need to change anything in the office. I decided to give it a try.”
Today Dr. Krause has a seamless system using Kareo and PatientPop, now united as Tebra.
When potential patients do a Google search, Dr. Krause’s practice appears prominently in a block on the right. A single click takes visitors to his website, where they can book a consultation and read reviews. Tebra also sends out text reminders for appointments. “My new Tebra system is very attractive to younger people. It does everything it’s supposed to.”
His new PatientPop website has generated an astounding 1,500 hits in just four months, resulting in 15 new patients. He’s received 61 new reviews and his online rating is now 4.9 stars out of 5. He also has reliable PatientPop statistics that document the improvements.
Streamlined practice
“Having patients set up their own appointments frees up a lot of phone time for our receptionist, so she can do more productive tasks like triaging and doing postings. Overall it makes us more productive while maintaining a smaller staff — an essential because we’re spread pretty thin here,” says Dr. Krause.
“Our new system has also opened up more time for me to spend with patients, which is what we all want. Instead of micromanaging data flows, I can look at the patient in front of me. In addition, the systems give me more time for the business side of the practice.”
Text reminders have reduced no-shows by 25%, meaning that his workflow is smoother and he makes even better use of available time.
He predicts that efficiencies from the system will allow him to see two additional patients a day once the effects of pandemic have tailed off.
More thorough care
“The face sheets in Kareo are excellent,” Dr. Krause notes. “The coding is very helpful and thorough for diagnoses. I like being able to attach lab results and correspondence from specialists right in the patient’s online chart. The prescription tool in Kareo keeps getting better and better. I’ve stopped writing scripts by hand, since even controlled substances can now be sent electronically.”
Dr. Krause feels that the Tebra system has improved the quality of his care. “When it comes to diagnosing, it helps to have Kareo’s problem list to balance against what the patient is saying. When someone comes in, I click on vital signs and then go to assessments, checking the ones I think are still relevant. Most often the presenting issue is related to issues from the past, so it’s important to compare current symptoms with previous ones. If it’s something new, I can easily make a new code. It’s so helpful to have everything at my fingertips.”
Fewer phone calls, more visibility
“One impressive statistic is that we’ve had 798 messages in PatientPop in just four months. That means we’re replacing almost 50 phone calls a week, for everything imaginable from referrals to prescription refills,” Dr. Krause says.
“Google is your only ticket to visibility these days,” he concludes. “Our new system with Kareo and PatientPop prepares us for the future with a very visible web presence, the online options that younger patients demand, and greatly improved reviews. We now have a 98% patient satisfaction rate. I’m really glad we made the move.”
