New patients are the hallmark of a successful physical therapy practice. As such, many therapists who are currently working in the field are often looking for new and innovative ways to encourage growth within their physical therapy practice. In this article, we’ll be discussing 3 ways to encourage physical therapy practice growth.

 

1) Cultivate a referral network

 

Many individuals will only decide to seek out physical therapy treatment because it’s been prescribed by their family physician. For example, they might have been involved in a car accident, had a minor injury, and gone to see their family physician for a checkup.  If necessary, the physician will refer them to a physical therapist to receive treatment for their injuries.

 

Try reaching out to local physicians and acquainting them with the services offered by your clinic. This can help ensure that you’ll be at the top of their list when their patients require the aid of a physical therapist. Most PT’s would agree that cultivating a strong referral network is bound to spur physical therapy practice growth. As a matter of fact, Practice Perfect has a section that’s dedicated to storing information about referring physicians and other contacts.

 

2) Nurture relationships with current patients

 

Your current patients may not always require your services, but while they’re in your care, you’re going to do everything you can to help them get better. In addition to providing treatment, you’ll also be spending a fair amount of time speaking to them and getting to know them better.

 

The most successful physical therapists will use these opportunities to form relationships with their patients. This way, if the patient requires the aid of a physical therapist later on down the road, or they know someone who does, they won’t hesitate to point them in your direction. This also ties in with the third way you can encourage growth in your PT practice.

 

3) Offer rewards for referring friends and family members

 

Do you know anyone that doesn’t like free stuff? I know I don’t. Patients can potentially refer family and friends free on their own, but it doesn’t hurt to offer an incentive, either. For instance, you can let your patients know that you’re offering a free $100 gift card for each patient that they refer to your physical therapy practice—because when it comes to encouraging physical therapy practice growth, giving a little can earn you a lot.

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