CASE STUDY

Two Orthopedic Clinics Take Their Practice to the Web

The largest group of people surfing the Internet are upper income earners. And that suits Orthopedic practices just fine; so fine, in fact, that websites for medical offices are invaluable additions to their practices.

We know that 111 million adults have looked for healthcare information on the Web. It's obviously a good place to be. People want information and they want it fast. The advantage of a website is two-fold. A clinic can attract new patients and better serve the ones they have.

"Patient education is an important focus of our clinic," says Robin Monogue, practice manager at Northern Rockies Orthopedic in Missoula, Montana. "Our patients tend to use the Web. They want information and it's right there for them."

Julie Liles, practice manager at Orthopedic Specialists of Gastonia, North Carolina also focuses on using the Internet to educate patients with questions and answers and illustrations. "We have PCs in the lobby and in three exam rooms so we can pull up our online patient education in the clinic and encourage patients to browse it at home."

And what exactly are they browsing? Patient education comes in many forms but eOrthopod is the best patient education on the market and can be embedded directly into the website. It includes easy-to-understand, colorful illustrations with explanations broken into categories for quick reference. In essence, it's any patient's dream.

What patients may not know but physicians do, is that educated patients tend to stay healthier and recover faster from surgeries. It makes sense to put patient education on the website since upper income earners (the largest Web user group) tend to want and read valuable information.

Patient education isn't the only patient benefit. By putting forms and insurance information online, patients don't have to show up 15 minutes early just to get in the system.

"People like the ability to fill out forms and fax them in," says Monogue. "In fact, we want to take it a step further. Our plan is to allow patients to fill out forms directly online and check their appointment or even cancel it within a certain time frame." This is all part of their greater plan to streamline the doctor/patient relationship.

The advantages of integrating a website into the practice are huge. Being online can cut down on practice phone calls and save both the clinic and patients time. "We created a patient survey that asks for feedback on our site," says Liles. Their goal is to continue to integrate their website with their practice to benefit patients and create efficiencies in their office.

Progressive clinics are taking advantage of the Web to grow and manage their practices. Patients want more information and clinics want to streamline this information. The answer? A professional medical website that gives both exactly what they want.