In this episode of PodMD, Director of RWS and Co-Founder of PodMD, Caroline Chaplin will be discussing the topic of; Should I Go Into Rooms With Someone Else.
- Transcript
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*As always, all in this PodMD podcast is intended for health professionals and the comments are of a general nature. Information given is not intended as specific medical advice pertaining to any given patient. If you have a clinical issue with one of your patients please seek appropriate advice from a colleague with expertise in the area.
Today I’d like to welcome to back the PodMD studio, director of RWS, Caroline Chaplin
Today we’ll be discussing the topic of, should doctors be going into rooms with someone else.
Caroline, thanks for joining us again, and what are your thoughts on this topic?
Caroline: Hi Portia, thanks for asking the question. This is something that is commonly raised, and I’m asked about this all the time. There’s different scenarios as to why someone goes into someone else’s rooms, so let’s look at a few of those. Firstly, it might be going in with a senior colleague who’s asked you to join them. This can be a tricky one because you can feel a certain level of obligation, and you want to look after this person after they’ve looked after you etc.The second scenario might be that somebody’s just basically renting space and they want to come on and rent a room. The third one might be that they’re wanting you to come on as an associate potentially and take a percentage of your fees. And then sometimes it can just be doctors putting their heads together and saying “hey why don’t we share a lease and go in together with something”.There are a whole lot of different reasons that people might choose to go in together.
Question 1
When you look at those, what are the potential positives and negatives of each?Caroline: Going in with a senior colleague can be a really good thing to say thank you and then look after them as they’ve looked after you. However, what I would say is you don’t want that scenario to continue on too long if you’re not getting cases you want to see. In any event, in any of the situations that you might go into, whether it be just starting up with a friend from uni or a colleague or whatever, or someone’s asked you to be an associate, I would always say that the golden rule of thumb is to always have your own phone number. If you’ve got your own phone number and hopefully fax as well, then if you do transition from the rooms, it’s just so much easier. You can be spending a lot of time and money marketing and you’re actually marketing someone else’s brand. So, phone number is absolutely a must.
Question 2
Are there any other things that you think people should consider doing to retain their own identity?Caroline: Yes, Portia, definitely a website as well. Even if you’re in an associateship model, if you can have your own website under your own name, that then means that if later on we’re helping you move out from this situation, you can do so and at least you’re not starting again with your referrers.
Question 3
Caroline, are there any other benefits that a website could create for you in this scenario?Caroline: Yes, another benefit can be that if you are moving to a different location or out of your current situation, it’s easy enough to put a pop up on the website to say “hey i’ve moved” which ticks the box on one of the AHPRA guidelines in relation to letting patients and referrers know that you have moved.
Question 4
What other helpful tips or beneficial information could you provide to our listeners when considering going into rooms with someone else?Caroline I’d say that you are a small business and because you are a small business, you need to think about you, and you need to think about your future, and your family and your income coming in for a long time. Once you give control over to somebody else, then effectively, you’re in a scenario where you know, they’re the gatekeepers and they can decide what’s happening and so forth. I would always say, if you can, try to look at the lead generation process. If you can try to look at the lead generation process, that is a really smart thing to do.
Question 5
What do you mean by lead generation process?Caroline: Patients coming through are going to obviously present with different needs. What cases are going to go to what person, or what doctor at the practice. For example, is it a ‘next available’ thing? Is it certain procedures are shared? Is it certain procedures only go to one person? You need to be pretty clear and figure this out because this can affect you bottom line and your happiness as a surgeon very quickly if you’re not seeing the cases that you would really like to see, and particularly if you haven’t got a public appointment so you can feel that you’re not getting the experience that you need to as well.
Question 6
Are there any other crucial things that doctors should take into consideration before making the step and going into rooms with someone else?Caroline: I think you have to go in with eyes wide open as I said. These situations can go pear-shaped, so you’ve got to go in thinking “how do I remove myself from this situation if it doesn’t work?”. It may just work and it might be wonderful. It might be something that you really enjoy and it works for you for the whole time in your private practice, or it may not. Just think backwards and think how do I move out of this situation if I need to. Another really good thing too, is always keep really good track record of what patients are coming up for you, and also what referrers you have; downloading regularly your referrer data, staying in touch with your referrers as an individual and not just relying on the marketing of the practice, but marketing yourself as an individual doctor even if it’s under that brand for a period of time so that local referrers know you by your name. That is what is extremely important.
Question 7
Caroline, to sum up our discussion today, what are the three, key take home messages for our listeners?Caroline: Go into it with your eyes wide open, Portia, so you know, how do I get out of this if I need to. Always have your own website. Always have your own contact details and phone number.
Well, Caroline, thank you once again for joining us today in the PodMD studio. We always appreciate the insights you provide for our listeners and we hope to have you back again soon!
Caroline: You’re very welcome, Portia!
