Building a strong referral network is essential for wellness professionals looking to provide comprehensive care and grow their practice. Selecting the right referral partners ensures your patients receive top-notch care and helps your practice establish a reputation for excellence. Today we’re sharing our go-to tips for choosing the right referral partners.

1. Quality of care

Look for providers with a strong track record of positive patient outcomes and professional standing. Consider these indicators:

• Certifications and qualifications: Ensure potential partners hold the necessary certifications and professional qualifications.

• Commitment to ongoing education: Given knowledge on health and wellness topics evolve so rapidly, it’s important that their partners partake in ongoing training and education opportunities.

• Feedback from other healthcare professionals: Reach out to other healthcare professionals who have referred patients to the potential partner to get more information.

• Feedback from patients: Review patient reviews and satisfaction rates. You can often find these on sites like Google, Yelp, ZocDoc, and the like.

• Unique treatments: Identify providers who are specializing in areas you are not focused to bring maximal value to your patient.

2. Availability and accessibility

Make sure the referral partner is easily accessible for your patients:

• Ease of scheduling: Ensure the provider offers convenient scheduling options.

• Proximity: Choose providers who are conveniently located near you and your patients

• Office hours: The provider’s hours should align with your patients’ schedules to make appointments and follow-ups easy.

• Facilities: Ensure the facilities are accessible to all patients, including those with disabilities.

• Flexibility in payment plans: Look for providers who offer flexible payment terms and accept relevant insurance plans.

3. Patient experience

Evaluate the overall patient experience provided by potential partners:

• Office environment: If you can, stop by the office to assess the professionalism and friendliness of the staff, as well as the office environment.

• System for feedback: Ensure you and the provider establish a communication method for sharing feedback with one another.

• Transparent and fair billing: Verify clear and fair billing procedures to avoid surprise costs for your patients.

4. Technology compatibility

In an ideal world, you should be able to seamlessly share client information:

• Electronic Health Records (EHR): If you are using the same EHR, you may be able to send data directly from a patient’s chart. If not, try to come up with a plan that reduces the amount of redundant information a patient has to share.

5. Partnership viability

Choose partners who align with your mission and are committed to collaboration:

• Shared goals & values: Ensure alignment in you and your partners’ mission and objectives.

• Willingness to collaborate: Choose partners who are open and proactive in communication, dependable, and responsive.

• Opportunities for joint marketing: Explore possibilities for co-marketing and joint events to enhance visibility for both practices.

Build your referral network today

Choosing the right referral partners involves careful consideration of quality of care, patient experience, availability and accessibility, technological compatibility, and partnership viability. By focusing on these factors, you can build a robust referral network that enhances patient care and supports the growth of your practice.

Otto Health helps clinicians build referral networks by conducting analyses to identify partners that meet your most important criteria. For more information, schedule a free consultation.