Oct 21, 2024 | Dermatology Practice, Digital Pathology
Dermatology is an 8.9 billion dollar industry and is only continuing to grow, with more dermatology practices seemingly popping up each day. However, managing your own practice and providing up-to-date, exceptional care is time-consuming.
We’ve created a list of 11 tips requiring minimal time investment that you can use to differentiate yourself from the competition and create a thriving dermatology practice.
Tip 1: Enhance Your Online Presence
According to a Brightlocal survey, 98 percent of consumers used the internet to find information about local businesses. With so much traffic, you need to make your business stick out online so potential patients find your practice first. One way to do this is to create a professional, user-friendly website. A poorly designed website will cause potential patients to distrust your brand and take their business elsewhere.
Having a great website is important, but only if people are actually motivated to pay a visit. Invest in SEO (search engine optimization), the practice of making your website and business easier for search engines like Google to find and understand. Search engines won’t recommend your website or business if they don’t understand what you are or what you’re offering.
And don’t forget social media. Post regularly on popular social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. This will get you in front of an audience that may not be actively seeking your services. Through social media, you’ll grow an audience of people interested in what you’re doing and willing to recommend you to friends and family. There are also great paid advertising opportunities through social media you’ll want to explore.
Tip 2: Optimize Your Google Business Profile
Word of mouth, signage, and other methods to let the world know about your business are still important, but 97 percent of people primarily learn about local businesses online. Your most important asset might just be your Google Business Profile. Google has the lion’s share (over 90 percent) of the search market and should be your main focus.
Be sure to fill out your profile completely. Add accurate business hours, holidays, contact information, and links. Don’t skimp on the images, either—listings with photos are twice as likely to appear reputable.
Reply to all your reviews, good or bad. This shows Google that you’re actively engaging with your patients, and it shows your patients that you value their feedback. Once you have your Google Business Profile completed and are actively managing it, you can branch out to other places where you can list your practice, like Yelp or Bing.
Tip 3: Invest in High-Quality Content Marketing
Content such as blogs, articles, videos, and infographics will help you establish yourself as an expert in all things dermatology. Content marketing is great because an initial investment can pay dividends. An article can be turned into a post for social media, an infographic, or a PR opportunity. Over time, these articles can bring thousands of visitors to your website each month.
Many local businesses don’t see the value in creating blog posts or articles since the customers they serve are strictly local. Visitors to a blog might be from all over the county and can’t become customers, but Google looks at link authority as a ranking factor for your local business. Visits and links to your website increase that authority. The more reputable your website, the more local eyes will be on your listing.
Marketing aside, having a library of resources can be a great benefit to your patients. You can use your articles to help patients understand their conditions and how to treat them. Write an article once (with periodic updates as needed) and reap the benefits for years to come.
Tip 4: Leverage Email Marketing
Email marketing is a great way to engage patients and keep them up to date about your practice. You’ll likely get their email address when they fill out new patient paperwork. Just make sure you include a disclaimer or an opt-out if you plan to send them marketing materials.
Consider sending a regular newsletter with updates, promotions, or educational content. A dermatologist might send a reminder to use sunscreen as summer approaches or let patients know of any patient referral programs they have running.
Tip 5: Offer Teledermatology Services
Whether it’s a work schedule, time constraint, or merely convenience, sometimes, people don’t want to go to the doctor in person. This is where offering teledermatology services can be beneficial. You’re also able to expand your patient pool with people who live too far to drive.
The tricky part of teledermatology and any telehealth service is providing a good experience for the patient. This requires a secure and user-friendly telehealth platform that works well for both doctors and patients. Even with a great platform, navigating electronics and internet connections can make it tricky to have a really good experience.
Tip 6: Foster Strong Patient Relationships
No one wants to feel like just another patient the doctor has to check off the list for the day. On busy days especially, it can be a real challenge to connect with your patients and work on developing those relationships. The good news is that the burden of building that relationship doesn’t have to rest solely on your shoulders as the provider. Use your team and make sure that each patient is having positive and friendly interactions with the members of your team.
Having competent staff at your practice is an essential part of success. Skilled medical staff and office personnel not only make your life easier, but they also make the patient experience better. Every dollar spent on staff training and development is a dollar well spent.
Investing in training and development also makes the staff feel more comfortable and confident when they encounter difficult situations. Helping your staff develop new knowledge and skills will also help them feel more fulfilled at work, generating a positive culture at your practice.
In addition to having meaningful patient interactions at the office, consider sending out thoughtful communications to your patients post-visit. Many offices send out requests for ratings, but how many send a text to check in with a patient with a challenging problem or complicated surgery, for example? Going the extra mile can help you become the only dermatologist they’ll trust with their health.
Tip 7: Network with Local Healthcare Providers
Building an online profile is important when it comes to building and expanding your practice, but many patients rely on referrals from their doctor when they need specialty care. The best way to see referrals from other doctors increase is to network with local healthcare providers. This can be done by calling directly and introducing yourself if you’re a relatively new practice.
Another great option is attending and participating in local health fairs and community events where you can meet a wide variety of other healthcare professionals as well as community members when you may need your services or know someone who does. When you start getting referrals from other doctors, make sure you communicate well with them, return results quickly, and make it a pleasure to work with you.
Tip 8: Utilize Patient Testimonials and Case Studies
Like with most businesses, prospective customers will rely on reviews and testimonials to gauge whether or not they want to do business somewhere. Leverage your positive reviews and testimonials to attract other patients. Display them on your website and social media as social proof of your expertise.
Encourage satisfied patients to leave positive reviews online, especially on your Google business profile. It can be slow to get started, but once you get in the habit, you’ll start to see a lot more patients leaving reviews. Remember to only ask patients for a review when they’ve had a positive experience.
There are lots of software solutions that can help you gather feedback and positive reviews.
Tip 9: Implement a Loyalty Program
A loyalty program is more common for practices that focus on elective healthcare, but it can be successfully implemented in almost any kind of practice. The easiest way to start would be to offer a patient referral gift or bonus of some sort. This incentivizes current patients to share your practice with friends and family. If that friend or family member does become a patient, the referrer gets a gift card or something similar.
Share your referral program on your website and social media and mention it in person when patients come to your clinic. If you change up your gift or award fairly frequently, you’ll be able to more easily determine what kind of reward incentivizes your patients the most and if adding that cost onto the acquisition cost of new patients is worth it for your practice.
Tip 10: Stay Updated with Industry Trends
Healthcare is an ever-evolving industry, dermatology especially. Invest some of your time and energy in attending dermatology conferences and workshops. Become familiar with the latest technology and business practices while networking with others. Make sure you offer the latest treatments with the most impactful technologies where possible.
Tip 11: Ask Them!
At PathologyWatch, we want practices to not just like us but also love us as a partner. Our team regularly performs check-ins with dermatologists and staff to provide honest and open feedback on how we can improve their experience. This leads to many helpful improvements as we strive to offer a unique, exceptional service. Similarly, dermatologists can ask their patients to perform simple client satisfaction surveys, using a few pointed questions that patients can honestly answer without feeling critical.
Even if you choose just one tip to implement, the emphasis on continuous improvement will inspire you and your staff and provide opportunities for great patient experiences, which is one of the main reasons we chose dermatology as a specialty.
If you’re looking for a partner that is also interested in continuous improvement, consider partnering with PathologyWatch for all your digital dermatopathology needs.
May 3, 2023 | Dermatology Practice, Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY—May 1, 2023—PathologyWatch, a full-service digital dermatopathology solution, is recognizing May as Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month with a public awareness campaign of its own.
Many Americans are likely unaware of just how prevalent skin cancer is in the US. In conjunction with Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month, the Skin Cancer Foundation has released some sobering statistics about the disease:
- With over 5 million cases detected each year in the US, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer.
- More than two people die from skin cancer every hour in the US.
- More people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year in the US than all other cancers combined.
- An estimated 7,990 people will die from melanoma in 2023 (5,420 men and 2,570 women).
- An estimated 186,680 cases of melanoma will be diagnosed in the US in 2023.
- One in five Americans will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the age of 70.
“One other key statistic is that the five-year survival rate for melanoma, when it is detected early, is 99 percent,” said Dan Lambert, CEO of PathologyWatch. “That’s why, during the month of May and beyond, we are encouraging everyone to visit their physician or dermatologist and receive an examination. Our mission at PathologyWatch is to preserve and extend life for patients while reducing the cost of healthcare. Early detection is one way we’re working to achieve that goal.”
PathologyWatch uses cutting-edge technology to connect dermatologists with academic-level dermatopathologists in a workflow utilizing samples shared via digital slides. The full-system digital workflow not only optimizes efficiency but also saves physician time, reduces the burden on office staff, and can help clinics create previously untapped revenue streams.
The Utah-based company will be providing “Show Me Some Skin” T-shirts to dermatologists and dermatopathologists who participate in the upbeat awareness campaign. Dermatologists and dermpaths can receive their free T-shirt by simply registering to join the campaign.
“We feel this is a fun way for dermatologists to help get the word out this month about a serious health issue,” Lambert said. “The most important thing in the fight against skin cancer is for people to take the initiative to get tested. May offers the perfect opportunity to commit to that first step.”
About PathologyWatch
PathologyWatch is the groundbreaking leader of digital dermatopathology services. Through these services, dermatology clinics, hospitals and laboratories can improve operational efficiency by speeding up workflow and enhancing patient outcomes by utilizing the PathologyWatch expert professional team and laboratory services. This can facilitate best-in-class reads and, in some cases, enable additional revenue to the practice by in-housing pathology. With an intuitive and easy-to-implement digital pathology solution that includes access to top-tier dermatopathologists and a streamlined clinical workflow that interfaces directly into the EMR, PathologyWatch brilliantly combines state-of-the-art technology and clinical decision-making to deliver unprecedented patient care.
Apr 25, 2023 | Meet The Team, Pathology Business
PathologyWatch COO Scott Mattivi was honored this month with the Meritorious Achievement Award from Pittsburg State University. The award is the highest honor based on career achievement bestowed by the university’s alumni association.
Mattivi graduated from the university, located in Pittsburg, Kansas, with a bachelor of science degree in biology in 1985 before earning a degree in medical technology from the University of Kansas in 1987.
“No matter where your career path eventually takes you, I think most people retain a soft spot for their alma mater, and that’s certainly the case for me,” says Mattivi. “To be recognized by Pittsburg State is truly an honor. My lifelong interest in science and healthcare was fostered there, and my education and association with Pittsburg State have definitely served me well in my career.”
In May of 2022, Mattivi joined PathologyWatch, which specializes in working with dermatology practices to manage their pathology workflows using a digital model. Mattivi brings strategic leadership and operational oversight to PathologyWatch’s three laboratories, which are located in Salt Lake City, UT, Phoenix, AZ, and Port Charlotte, FL.
Before arriving at PathologyWatch, Mattivi was president of Eurofins-Viracor BioPharma Services, where he worked for more than 13 years. Previous to that, he served as a laboratory manager at Quest Diagnostics for 22 years. Mattivi has earned his Six Sigma Green Belt Certification to ensure the highest quality of processes and services and serves on five different boards in the healthcare industry.
Along the way, Mattivi started programs with clinical lab students at the University of Kansas and Wichita State University to perform molecular science rotations at Viracor. He has been an advocate in sharing the virtues of seeking a career in clinical laboratory sciences with students at multiple regional educational institutions.
In addition to his Pittsburg State award, Mattivi will be honored later this year by the alumni association at the University of Kansas, where he will be recognized on October 6–7 as a distinguished health professions alumnus.
Apr 24, 2023 | Dermatology Practice, Digital Dermatopathology, Pathology Business
By April Larson, MD
Thirteen is shaping up to be a very fortunate number for digital pathologists in 2023. Thanks largely to the efforts of the College of American Pathologists (CAP), the American Medical Association CPT Editorial Board developed 13 new Category III digital pathology digitization procedure codes. The 13 new add-on CPT codes, which have been introduced to record the use of digital pathology, went into effect on January 1.
Prior to 2023, lab reports in the US used the same CPT (current procedural terminology) codes in reporting any diagnostic read—with no distinction made as to whether the diagnosis utilized digital pathology or a glass slide under a microscope. Thus, both procedures earned the same reimbursement rates.
The new CPT codes will help track the additional work and investment of digital pathology into practice and help establish a new standard of care by demonstrating its wider acceptance and usage by the medical community, which in turn is a big step in receiving reimbursement for those services. This will continue to push the medical industry toward the adoption of digital pathology, increasing the availability of remote pathology work for pathologists.
Let’s look at the difference between Category I and the new Category III CPT codes and how they could lead to reimbursement rates for those practices utilizing digital pathology.
The Difference Between CPT Codes
The 13 new Category III codes are designed to be temporary in nature. They’re intended for emerging technology, services, and procedures and allow for the data collection directly associated with carrying them out. The goal is to show that these procedures are becoming more commonly adopted so that pathologists can then work with the AMA to shift these codes to Category I status.
I believe the use of these new CPT codes is a helpful measure that the government can use to determine whether new technology—in this case, digital pathology and the use of AI prognostics— is actually advancing the standard of care.
How do Category III codes differ from Category I codes? According to CAP, the new Category III codes may not meet one or more of the following Category I requirements:
- All devices and drugs necessary for the performance of the procedure or service have received FDA clearance or approval when such is required for the performance of the procedure or service.
- The procedure or service is performed by many physicians or other qualified health care professionals across the United States.
- The procedure or service is performed with a frequency consistent with the intended clinical use (e.g., a service for a common condition should have high volume, whereas a service commonly performed for a rare condition may have low volume).
- The procedure or service is consistent with current medical practice.
- The clinical efficacy of the procedure or service is documented in literature that meets the requirements set forth in the CPT code change application.
Category III codes should be reported only for primary diagnostic use; they should not be reported if the digitization performed is solely for archival or educational purposes, developing a database for training or validation of AI algorithms, or for conference presentations.
The 13 new codes are attached to different services and procedures, but the one thing they all have in common is involving the digitization of glass slides.
The use of these codes is exciting both for dermatologists and dermatopathologists. What we’ve seen at PathologyWatch is that dermatopathologists can benefit from remote digital workflows, and dermatologists have quicker access to both digital slides and reports.
Reclassification to Category I codes, which is the goal, requires meeting both general and specific criteria as determined by the AMA.
Potential Game-Changer for Pathologists
While temporary in nature, the 13 new codes have the potential to be revolutionary for digital pathologists for a variety of reasons. Of primary merit is that the codes are widely expected to achieve Category I status in the near future, opening the door to new financial reimbursements.
Clearly, there are significant upfront expenses associated with digital pathology. The initial technology investment, for example, can seem formidable, with scanners running anywhere from $250,000 to $1 million.
While it is important to note that there are presently no reimbursements directly tied to the new CPT III codes, the change is laying the groundwork by bringing a different dynamic into play.
The utilization of CPT codes helps establish the frequency of usage within the medical community. In order to determine reimbursement, this is often determined by committees of experts who help document the financial investment required to use a new technology.
Much like radiology, the wide adoption of digital pathology will help improve the quality of patient care by promoting sharing of information and images with consulting providers, which improves communication and coordination of care. It also promotes more frequent peer-to-peer and expert consultation with difficult cases and patient education and understanding of their disease.
Reimbursement also provides a financial incentive for clinics and labs to invest further in digital pathology. CAP proposals are being considered for development in the next few years through the AMA CPT process. In the meantime, it is important for dermatologists and dermatopathologists to use the new Category III codes to properly track their digital pathology services.
View a chart with the new CPT codes and detailed explanations of what they entail at cap.org. Then, contact us to learn more about how these new codes, and the adoption of digital pathology, could greatly improve your level of patient care and your practice in general.
— April Larson, MD, is chief medical officer and a cofounder at PathologyWatch.
Apr 20, 2023 | Digital Pathology, Pathology Business
There is no time like the present to be part of the digital pathology field.
According to a 2022 report published by Facts and Factors Research, the global digital pathology market is expected to grow at a 13.8 percent CAGR increase in the next five years. In a recent Forbes article, Dan Lambert, CEO of PathologyWatch, spotlights several different market factors that are synergistically signaling exciting growth opportunities ahead.
Increased Demand for Remote Work
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, many companies saw increased demand for the ability to work remotely. With a national emergency declared in the United States, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) waived some requirements for remote pathology sites. The ensuing three years have shown the benefits of digital pathology, especially as the demand for remote work remains high.
Lambert also sees digital pathology as a way to connect people in underserved areas with the latest technological advances in healthcare, which otherwise would not be accessible to them. “I predict that remote digital pathology will eventually help leapfrog the latest technology forward by connecting individual offices with dermpath experts and algorithms throughout the world,” Lambert writes.
New CPT Codes
The College of American Pathologists (CAP) worked with the AMA CPT Editorial Board in 2022 to develop a series of 13 new Category III digital pathology digitization procedure codes, which went into effect on January 1, 2023. Before the change, US labs used the same codes to report a diagnostic read, whether they were made under a microscope or using digital pathology.
The new codes will be used to track the extent to which digital pathology is being utilized, with the hope that it will soon result in additional reimbursement amounts, allowing those using the new technology to recoup some of their costs.
“I see this change providing a clear financial incentive for labs to invest in digital pathology,” Lambert says.
Clinical Correlation
Digital pathology provides a more efficient means of communication between dermatologists and dermatopathologists. Where the old model functioned with biopsy samples placed on glass slides sent off to a lab, digital pathology streamlines the process by scanning the samples into digitized slides. Dermpaths now read the case digitally and can consult in real time with the originating dermatologist.
“Quicker and more efficient diagnosis and communication can position the patient as the real beneficiary of digital pathology advancement,” says Lambert. ”In time, I predict that digital pathology and remote reads by experts will be the industry standard.”
Single-Solution Systems
Until recently, most parts of the digital pathology process were handled separately. In the past, one company might have specialized in building viewers, while one developed diagnostic algorithms, and another specialized in the EMR systems that tracked each patient’s case. But now, vendors like PathologyWatch, with its Dermpath Optimization Tool, have developed systems that cohesively connect each step in the process.
“The fact that a few different vendors have developed start-to-finish systems is a good thing for digital pathology,” Lambert says. “[It] means the industry will continue shifting to support digital solutions.”
To read the full Forbes article, click here.
