Although the health care reform bill—the American Health Care Act (AHCA)—was withdrawn from consideration in March, President Trump and Congress have continued to make several indications that they will continue to pursue health care reform efforts.

The American Health Care Act has been pulled from consideration, which may cheer up some practices that were concerned about possible changes and ramifications of the bill. However, there are still several other trends in 2017 that will affect practices more immediately than any other health care reform legislation that may happen this year. For practices to truly thrive in 2017 and beyond, providers and practice managers must consider additional trends and address these topics sooner rather than later.

While we are already well into 2017, the health care industry is still being affected by trends and events from last year. These trends from 2016 could pose new challenges for practices, but could also create revenue and patient-volume growth opportunities in 2017 and in the future.

Plastic Surgery practices, especially those focused on cosmetic procedures, understand the effect patient engagement can have on practice growth. Due to the shift in demand from reconstructive to elective treatments, which results in increased patient out-of-pocket spending, cosmetic surgery practices must ensure a positive patient experience in order to increase retention and referrals. According to a British study, a better patient experience is associated with increased engagement and clinical efficacy.

Thanksgiving is a time when we celebrate our families, friends and the many things we are grateful for in our lives. Although it may not occur to them while they enjoy their turkey, pumpkin pie and time with their loved ones, your patients are likely thankful for the many ways that your practice management and engagement tools make their lives easier. In the spirit of the holiday season, here are a few examples of some practice management features that your patients are thankful for!

When specialty providers observe that “My patients often don’t do what I tell them,” they are usually describing an issue of engagement. Patients obviously want to be healthy, or they wouldn’t make appointments in the first place. But when appointments are difficult to secure or aren’t kept—and when a kept appointment is the only time the patient connects with the specialty practice—there is an opportunity to increase patient engagement by leveraging technologies for patient access.

When consumers make virtually any purchase, the final choice is most often driven by price. They’ll also want quality, suitability for purpose, etc., but once those criteria are satisfied, price can determine where the purchase is made. This has not traditionally been the case with health care.

Plastic surgery physicians understand the importance of embracing technology — in the treatments and procedures they perform, and also in running their practices. Using outdated technologies can reduce their productivity, increase costs and worse yet, negatively impact the patient experience, which is the foundation of any successful plastic surgery practice.