A Proven Strategy to Boost Referral Volume and Skyrocket Your Appointment Bookings

ReferWell's Client Operations Team is often approached by specialty practices, outpatient surgery centers, hospitals, and health systems seeking better ways to increase referral volume. While they have tried digital marketing, they are aware of anti-kickback laws. In that vein, ReferWell has collaborated with Lenox Hill Radiology (LHR), which operates over 70 imaging centers in the metropolitan New York area, to provide an efficient solution.

ReferWell has partnered with a network of specialist partners like LHR, making it easier for referring physicians and health plans to schedule patient care at their centers. These specialty practices are seeing numerous benefits, such as patients showing up for scheduled appointments more often, reduced leakage because physicians continue to refer patients to them repeatedly, and an increase in referral volume. By sharing their schedule availability with referring physicians, specialists are receiving three to four times as many referrals sent to them over competitors.

Specialists can see a direct path to booking more appointments by making available appointment times visible to physician referral coordinators. The simplicity and success of this strategy begs the question: "Why hasn't more of the industry jumped on board?" The answer is a bit complex, but ReferWell is committed to helping solve that challenge. 

A recent study conducted by a Brooklyn, New York health system showed that specialists who made schedules visible saw twice the number of referrals booked. Referrers also sent three to four times as many referrals to specialists who shared appointment openings. Additionally, admins saved about 12 hours for every 100 referrals sent by booking through ReferWell and avoiding manual scheduling. 

Providers can simplify and improve the care delivery process through transparency in the appointment scheduling process. By reducing the friction that referral coordinators and health plan care navigators typically face as they schedule referral appointments, specialists who share schedule availability allow healthcare providers and insurers to book appointments at the Referable Moment when patients are ready to take action. This ease of finding and scheduling care helps set patients on a proactive healthcare journey where they achieve their best outcomes.