What’s Working for Patient Acquisition
1. Strong online reputation + review volume
Patients choose doctors the same way they choose everything else by comparing ratings and reviews.
84 percent of patients check online reviews before choosing a provider, and over half read at least six. (rater8)
*~40 percent have canceled or avoided an appointment because of negative reviews. (PR Newswire)
Tips:
-
Make review requests automatic (SMS/email immediately post visit).
-
Respond quickly and professionally to negative feedback.
-
Ensure your review count and average rating beat your local competitors.
2. Frictionless digital access (online booking and forms)
Digital convenience is no longer optional it’s the new baseline.
~80 percent of consumers prioritise online scheduling. (Kyruus Health)
89 percent want anytime/any device scheduling, yet only ~63 percent of practices offer it. (MGMA)
Patients judge doctors as much on digital ease as on clinical skill. (Press Ganey)
Tips:
-
Offer true real time online booking (not a “request a call”).
-
Make the booking button impossible to miss on mobile.
-
Use automated reminders and upgrade them with a pre visit education video to boost show rate and preparedness.
Practices still requiring patients to call between 9–5 fall behind those with seamless online self service.
3. Marketplace and search visibility (SEO + Zocdoc + Maps)
Patients begin their search digitally, not with a phone call.
59 percent+ of patients research online when choosing a provider. (Press Ganey)
Tips:
-
Build an outstanding Google Business Profile: photos, services, FAQs, and booking link.
-
Leverage online marketplaces where appropriate (e.g., Zocdoc).
-
Create SEO optimized landing pages for each condition and procedure.
4. Experience focused communication (before and after the visit)
Patients aren’t loyal to the provider they’re loyal to the experience.
Convenience, clarity, and responsiveness are top reasons patients stay or switch. (Medical Economics)
Tips:
-
Provide clear, jargon free video education before and after visits.
-
Make the process feel guided, supportive, and predictable.
Hoot Example:
Platforms like Hoot enhance the patient journey by delivering automated pre visit video education, reducing anxiety, increasing preparedness, and boosting both show rate and conversion. Practices using Hoot see patients arrive more confident and more likely to follow through a major contributor to higher PAC efficiency.
Better patient experience → higher reviews → stronger retention → lower acquisition cost.
5. Educational content + social proof
Patients self educate more than ever before.
Patients increasingly rely on content to understand symptoms, treatment options, risks, and recovery. (Media Logic)
What works:
-
Short, visual explainers (What to expect, candidacy criteria, recovery timelines).
-
Before/after proof where permitted.
-
Search intent content: cost of…, recovery time…, etc.
This reduces anxiety, filters out poor fit leads, and increases conversion.
6. Data driven channel mix + Patient Acquisition Cost discipline
Modern practices must treat acquisition like a diversified portfolio.
What works:
-
Blend organic (SEO, reviews) + paid (Google Ads, social, marketplaces).
-
Track the pipeline: lead → consultation → treatment.
-
Prioritize channels that produce high value, long term patients.
Knowing PAC, show rate, and conversion per channel = smarter decisions and predictable growth.
What’s Not Working (or Underperforming)
1. Phone only scheduling + high friction access
Call to book is a conversion killer.
Conflicts with 80–90 percent of patients who want digital convenience. (MGMA)
Patients expect reminders, portals, and streamlined digital touchpoints. (Press Ganey)
Result: Lower conversions, more no shows, and higher abandonment.
2. Ignoring or under utilizing online reviews
Practices fail when they don’t ask for reviews consistently or don’t respond to them. (Tebra)
What doesn’t work:
-
Hoping good care = good reviews.
-
Letting a few negatives dominate.
-
Having poor or sparse online reputation despite strong offline reputation.
3. Treating digital tools as window dressing
Patients judge the entire journey, not just the exam room.
Virtual/digital demand is high, but execution is inconsistent. (Deloitte)
Failures:
-
Clunky portals.
-
Request a call back disguised as online booking.
-
Slow message response times.
This creates an outdated, frustrating experience.
4. Over reliance on a single channel
Patients move across search, reviews, social, marketplaces, and now AI tools. (Media Logic)
Underperformers:
-
Only posting on social without SEO or reviews.
-
Relying purely on word of mouth without tracking digital leakage.
5. Acquisition without retention
Loyalty is fragile small frustrations create churn. (Tebra)
What fails:
-
Heavy ad spend with no follow up system.
-
No recall or reactivation strategy.
-
No membership or continuity options for elective or chronic conditions.
If the bucket leaks, more ad spend won’t fix it.
If You Want to Act on This Right Now Do This
A modern, data backed acquisition stack includes:
1. Reputation Engine
-
Automated review requests
-
Weekly monitoring + responses
2. Access Engine
-
Real online booking
-
Mobile ready intake + reminders
3. Visibility Engine
-
SEO optimized website
-
Strong Google Business Profile
-
Select marketplaces
4. Experience and Loyalty Engine
-
Fast messaging response SLAs
-
Automated follow ups and recall
-
Pre visit education (Hoot style video workflows)
5. Analytics
-
PAC, show rate, conversion tracking
-
Quarterly evaluation of channel winners and losers
Sources
rater8 How Patients Choose Their Doctors (2025)
Medical Economics patient choice behavior
MGMA State of Patient Access 2024
Kyruus Health Care Access Benchmark Report
Press Ganey patient experience and digital expectations
Deloitte Virtual Health Consumer Demand and Availability
Tebra Online Healthcare Reviews and Patient Trust
Media Logic healthcare consumer education trends