Even with vast improvements in patient engagement and scheduling methods, no-showscontinue to be a major concern for practices. When a patient fails to arrive for his or her appointment, it has a negative impact on clinical workflow in a variety of ways, especially when it comes to financial losses. What do no-shows cost providers? A North Carolina-based study looked into the costs of no-shows for health care providers. The researchers created a situational model that applied the average non-attendance rate of 18 percent to a schedule of 24 patients in one day. With perfect attendance, the net gain would have been $4,433.32, but a no-show rate of 18 percent would mean a loss of $725.42, reducing the net gain to $3707.90.

Yelp is a popular application for crowd-sourced reviews of restaurants, retail stores and a wide array of other local businesses; however, it is also growing in prominence among healthcare providers. It utilizes a word-of-mouth approach to allow patients to give their opinions concerning patient engagement, quality of care and any other aspect of the practice, and it serves as an essential application for patients searching for everything from general practitioners to dermatology specialists.

Any individual who has spent a number of years as a medical professional will tell you that no two doctor-patient relationships are going to be exactly the same. Working in health care, you have the opportunity to interact with individuals from all backgrounds. So in order to provide the appropriate type of care, you'll need a varied and flexible skill set as a provider. Among the largest determining factors in how you interact with a patient is his or her age. Young patients or children will require a different sort of approach than adults, as will senior citizens. If your practice treats a wide range of patients, than it is particularly important to understand generational differences.

As technology continues to grow and evolve before our eyes, social media has permeated nearly every aspect of our daily lives. We look to it for information regarding the news, cultural events, our friends and everything in between. That said, it's no surprise that medical practices that may have never considered blogging several years ago are sprouting up on social media. If your practice is just starting out in this realm, though, it can be difficult to know where to begin. Take a look at these tips to ensure you're setting off in the right direction:

Medicine is a field that presents a unique host of challenges when it comes to marketing. It is vital to the health and longevity of your practice, whether it be a specialty-driven office or a general practitioner, that you not only retain current clients but also regularly attract new ones. Many individuals within the medical field might be surprised to learn that word of mouth marketing can still make a difference in today's high tech world. Though it may seem somewhat outdated, this form of communication and advertising is still incredibly valuable for doctors looking to grow their client base and boost patient retention. Take a look at a few factors to consider when approaching word of mouth marketing.

Regardless of your practice's specialty, it's critical that you realize the advantages that can come from good patient engagement techniques. While much of this can be accomplished through building strong, trusting relationships with your clientele, the increased use of digital tools also offers valuable opportunities for advancement in this regard. If you're thinking about how you can take your patient engagement to the next level, you will want to evaluate your electronic medical record software. Take a look at these tips for maximizing patient engagement with EMR software:

Physicians increasingly expect the ability to access EMRs on their mobile devices. As we relayed in this space in July, a recent survey found that 100 percent of physician practices that are considering switching EMRs view mobile access as a requirement for their next system.